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USAF Developing New "SR-72" Supersonic Spy?

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the next-comes-high-altitude-flak-cannons dept.

Kadin2048 writes "According to an Air Force Times article, the famed Lockheed Martin 'Skunk Works' may be hard at work on a new supersonic spy plane (with 'artist concept') for the U.S. military, to replace the SR-71 'Blackbird' retired a decade ago. Dubbed by some the SR-72, the jet would be unmanned and travel at about 4,000 MPH at as much as 100,000 feet, with 'transcontinental' range. Some have speculated that new high-speed spy planes could be a U.S. response to anti-satellite weapons deployed by China, in order to preserve reconnaissance capabilities in the event of a loss of satellite coverage. Neither the Air Force nor Lockheed Martin would comment on the program, or lack thereof."

2 of 428 comments (clear)

  1. Particle beam weapon by hwstar · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    I suspect it could be shot down with a particle beam weapon. With the particle beam traveling at a good fraction of the speed of light, it would be vulnerable.

  2. Re:I think the AC's point was retaliation by lpq · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    What type of tool are you? You claim complete destruction for China and "only" heavy mauling for the US or Russia. Considering that because of population and building densities a much smaller nuclear exchange between Pakistan and India could trigger globally deadly nuclear winter, what would be the effect of the complete destruction of China -- which has at _least_ as many people as Pakistan-India? Wouldn't resulting soot fallout from China be, minimally, equally deadly in weather effects, if not more so?

    You might get survival of some government types in a well stocked bunker somewhere, but life as we know it would be severely damaged or destroyed by the resulting nuclear winter. Most likely, if things shifted by several degrees, even if for a "short" while -- the increase in earth's reflectivity due to increased ice & snow coverage could easily trigger and maintain a long-term ice age for the planet.

    Of course, we can always keep this plan as a "backup" failsafe should global warming become too threatening... ;^ 'Sides, from what I've read, according to new figures, China passed the US in global warming emissions last year, so mutual destruction or harming of the US & China might not look so bad to the other nuclear powers. Such a conflict would be an ideal time for global-climate/global-future minded nations to take out the victor as it is weakened in such a strike. Ug...that sounds excessively ugly, but given the way ugly is increasing in the world...