Summary and What You Need to Know: The U.S. Air Force is developing the SR-72, dubbed the "Son of Blackbird," a hypersonic aircraft designed to replace the SR-71.

-Capable of speeds exceeding Mach 6 (at least on paper), it integrates stealth with a turbine-based combined cycle propulsion system.

-The SR-72 is not just a reconnaissance vehicle but also a potential strike platform, capable of rapid precision attacks, making it vital for future conflicts in contested regions like the Indo-Pacific.

-Its speed and stealth will offer the U.S. a strategic advantage, restoring deterrence by striking fear into adversaries with its ability to deliver payloads undetected.

The Air Force Needs the SR-72

The U.S. Air Force is working feverishly to build what they have wistfully dubbed as the “Son of Blackbird,” the SR-72. 

This vehicle has attained an almost mythic status since it was first (somewhat) publicly “revealed” in 2022’s hit film Top Gun: Maverick, where a fictionalized variation of this prototype bird was featured under the name “Darkstar.” If it goes to plan, the Air Force will have a hypersonic surveillance plane that combines speed and stealth as never before.

It would employ a turbine-based combined cycle (TBCC) propulsion system, which integrates a turbojet for lower speeds and a potent ramjet/scramjet for hypersonic flight. The SR-72 reduces the aircraft’s radar cross section, making it stealthier.

What is the SR-72?

The Air Force wanted long-range strategic reconnaissance capabilities that represented the next-generation of surveillance systems. While the SR-71 Blackbird was renowned for its ability to outrun threats, the stealth capabilities on the SR-72 would represent a quantum leap when compared to the SR-71. Advances in anti-aircraft technology, such as faster missiles and better radar systems, also negated many of the advantages that the SR-71 Blackbird enjoyed. 

The Air Force has long believed there was a dire need for a recon bird that could operate at even faster speeds – possibly going faster than Mach 6 – while still employing stealth. All of this is, of course, on paper. 

Traveling at Mach 6, or more than 4,000 miles per hour, would give an aircraft significant advantages in terms of collecting intelligence. More important, though, it helps ensure the bird will not be shot down, since most aircraft cannot intercept at those speeds.

But there’s so much more than reconnaissance when speaking about the SR-72, and this is a key distinction from the SR-71. The Air Force is considering making this new bird capable of carrying weapons, transforming it into a high-speed strike platform. The plan for the SR-72 is fundamentally different from its predecessor. The SR-72 could be used as a rapid strike craft in conducting time-sensitive missions or long-range counterterrorism operations.

Should conflict erupt and much of the Indo-Pacific become closed to most traditional U.S. military power projection, a squadron of SR-72s might prove very useful until China’s advanced anti-access/area-denial capabilities can be negated. 

Fear of This System is Key

In today’s strategic environment, American deterrence is basically dead. Attempting to restore deterrence will be a difficult task in a multipolar environment of near-peer competitors. But it is possible. One way of restoring deterrence in the minds of America’s rivals is by instilling fear. 

The fear that Uncle Sam could be anywhere at any time, ready to deploy massive payloads upon unsuspecting targets below. The fear that the delivery systems for such payloads could be deep in an enemy’s territory and gone before they were even detected – and detection wouldn’t help anyways.

Procure the SR-72 NOW!

This aircraft, more than the boondoggle that is the proposed Next-Generation Air Dominance sixth-generation warplane, is truly next-level and something the Air Force desperately needs. By pushing the boundaries of the aeronautical engineering undergirding this program, the Air Force will benefit significantly in the years to come from further innovation. 

All in all, the SR-72 is not a boondoggle. It is not just another recon bird. It is a fast-attack aircraft that can penetrate airspace that’s been sealed off to conventional U.S. military power projection and can fundamentally transform the battlefield. It will restore some semblance of the deterrence that the United States has lost over the last 20 years.

This is a must-have for the Air Force. 

Author Experience and Expertise: Brandon J. Weichert

Brandon J. Weichert, a National Interest national security analyst, is a former Congressional staffer and geopolitical analyst who is a contributor at The Washington Times, the Asia Times, and The-Pipeline. He is the author of Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His next book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine, is due October 22 from Encounter Books. Weichert can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.

All images are Creative Commons or Shutterstock.

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