SR-72 Hypersonic Strike Aircraft Revealed

US industrial complex raise the stakes much above what they can catch. For someone who can't accomplish even relatively moderate programs like the f35 or the Zumwalt a mach 6 ramjet is well above their capabilities. Just an attempt to sell magazines. In the meantime they can spend their time trying to master ......mach 1 with F35    

Hahahaha... the SR-71 never flew into Soviet airspace except cutting corners to try to provoke the air defence forces into giving away secrets like radio channel codes and interception procedures.

Even at twice the speed a bomber or recon aircraft would not be safe over 1980s Russia let alone 21st C Russia.

Most models of S-300 are mobile so a fast flying SR-72 could be cruising along and suddenly find itself flying between two radar sets for S300 but that a S-300 battery has been set up between those active units with its radar off waiting for it to fly over so it can shoot you down.

The speed of sound is generally accepted as 320m/s at sea level... so mach 6 would therefore be 3 x 320m/s or 1.92km/s... old S-300P could only engage targets flying at 1.2km/s, but the S-300PMU1 and PMU2 can engage targets flying more than twice that speed at 2.8km/s.

S-300V could engage targets at such speeds too.

S-400 and S-500 can both easily engage targets flying much much faster than just under 2km per second.

No point in building a "Mig-41", interceptors are (currently) a thing of the past. Besides, the Russian aerospace industry is busy with the PAK-FA, newer variations of MiG's and Flankers, and the Fulcrum replacement.

The Russian Air Force wants PAK FA and may eventually look at a light 5h gen fighter to make up the numbers without being too expensive, but it is not really interested in a replacement for the MiG-31.

The Aerospace Defence Forces however find the MiG-31 to be a very useful aircraft and really don't need an expensive stealthy plane.. they just need a double MiG-31... ie twice as fast... more missiles, longer range, bigger radar. they don't need stealth or manouver capability.

A light modern fighter is far from decided. They might just go for a UCAV.

Very true, though I think a light cheaper 5th gen fighter would sell rather better than a UCAV and would be more acceptable to the conservative Air Forces around the world.

In the meantime they can spend their time trying to master ......mach 1 with F35

Or indeed new technology like oxygen generators so they don't suffocate their F-22 pilots...

i found it after viewing this article on sputnik news

https://sputniknews.com/military/201801111060688459-google-earth-unveil-us-spy-plane/


full aerial view of the test facility



childish alien grey type figure on small runway



a close up of the test facility and vechile which is roughly 2 1/2 times larger than a car parked in front of what i would guess is it's hangar, facility has blast shield to protect facility from engine thrust just behind large X




a airport that could be best described as small regional airport ... with some interesting features and structures surrounding the airport including a secluded 2nd small runway for testing aircraft




Sikorsky
Pratt & Whitney
JENOPTIK
Aerojet Rocketdyne
interesting list of companies based at a airport that could be best described as small regional airport





http://www.rocket.com/content/aerojet-news

https://www.jenoptik-inc.com/defense/

From their website : Our 25+ years of experience includes:

Aerial Imaging
Airborne and Space Lidar
Free Space Optical Communication
Fire Control
Gimbal
Imaging
Multi and Hyperspectral
Projection
Sensing
Simulation and Training
Space Surveillance
Star Tracking
Target Acquisition

A Mach 6 drone slightly bigger than a car?

Maybe if it was launched off the nose of an ICBM... not if it takes off from such a short air strip.

But of course... it must be a super secret new spy plane because they could not afford to keep those under some sort of roof... how secret could it be?

GarryB wrote:A Mach 6 drone slightly bigger than a car?

Maybe if it was launched off the nose of an ICBM... not if it takes off from such a short air strip.

But of course... it must be a super secret new spy plane because they could not afford to keep those under some sort of roof... how secret could it be?

it was parked in front of it's hangar and it's actually 2 1/2 times longer than a car and it's wings fold backwards so it's not the X-45 and it's longer than the X-45 ... it's actually a test site and not a full runway and the whole airfield is owned by UTC who are a large US military contractor

Fake news and is a week or so old now.

This is a P&W owned engine test site along the road from one of their factories and positioned to minimise noise nuisance. The object is a test bed for the F-135 engine and is used to test the heat signature.