SR-72: US secret hypersonic jet to allegedly break sound barrier in 2025 | Believed to be a top-secret project of the US Air Force, the SR-72 is touted to reach over 4,000 mph (6,437 kph), making i…::undefined

    • Quetzalcutlass@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      This new plane is a hypersonic weapon delivery drone, barely related to the SR-71 aside from the speed it can travel.

      As to the sixty years thing, satellites made spyplanes nearly entirely obsolete and traditional aircraft with stealth technology covered the remaining cases well enough that there wasn’t a need for more speed. Research went into making missiles better instead, and this is designed to be a launch platform for those missiles.

      • Poem_for_your_sprog@lemmy.world
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        10 months ago

        Then why do we still operate the U2? SR-71 was operated all the way until 1999. Hubble was launched in 1990 so the large mirrors for spy telescopes had to have been in use well before that.