Hermeus intends to field a new technology demonstrator each year as it progresses toward fielding its twin-engine Dark Horse military aircraft. Dark Horse probably won’t manifest until well into the 2030s, which is a similar timeline to the one offered by Lockheed Martin’s execs before the SR-72 program went dark. 

In 2022, the Air Force Research Lab awarded a $334 million developmental contract to Leidos to field a very similar TBCC aircraft, dubbed Mayhem, for ISR and strike missions, though the company has subsequently wound down development on this program citing insufficient operational demand, potentially because there were already two similar and promising platforms in development (the SR-72 and Quarterhorse) drawing funds from Pentagon coffers. 

In 2021, Pratt & Whitney announced its own efforts at fielding a unique kind of high-speed air-breathing jet engine system that wouldn’t rely on a traditional turbofan-to-scramjet design to achieve speeds just below the hypersonic barrier. And in January 2024, GE Aerospace announced its own progress in fielding a rotating-detonation-equipped dual-mode ramjet that it intends to marry to a turbofan to create what could be the smallest, lightest, and most powerful TBCC powerplant ever conceived. 

So, at this point, it does seem all but inevitable that the United States will field a reusable hypersonic aircraft in the not-too-distant future. Whether that aircraft is produced by Lockheed Martin, Hermeus, or another company is uncertain but based on the evidence at hand, it appears that Lockheed may have secured a commanding lead. If low-rate initial production has already commenced on the SR-72, it could mean a similar timeline to service as the B-21 Raider with an anticipated service entry just before the close of the decade. 

About the Author: Defense Expert Alex Hollings 

Alex Hollings is a writer, dad, and Marine veteran.

This article was first published by Sandboxx News.

All images are Creative Commons and/or Shutterstock.