The aircraft manufacturer Lockheed Martin is designing an aircraft capable of flying at more than 7,400 km/h. By taking off from the United States, this drone will be able to reach Europe in less than 90 minutes.
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[EN VIDÉO] The US Army is testing a squadron of 103 autonomous mini-drones In the United States, the Department of Defense successfully tested a group of 103 microdrones dropped from three combat aircraft. Driven by artificial intelligence, these small machines 16 centimeters long have demonstrated their ability to fly in formation and make decisions to adapt to circumstances.
One drone intelligence and combat aircraft capable of flying at more than 7,400 km/h, here is the ambitious project led by the American aircraft manufacturer Lockheed Martin. For the moment, the company is only at the beginning of the tests of its engine. Thus, this April 5, it is on a concept of hypersonic missile (HAWC) that the firm was able to test a reactor. With the latter, he was able to reach Mach 5 at an altitude of nearly 20,000 meters.
If we are still far from a real prototype, we already know that this drone will bear the name of SR-72. A name reminiscent of the SR-71, the famous Blackbird in black livery and flattened profile. With its weak radar signature and its equipment, this aircraft was intended for intelligence during the Cold War. Capable of flying at Mach 3, it was then the fastest aircraft and its cruising altitude of 20,000 meters put it out of reach of the missiles. With the use of satellites with increasingly precise imagery, the device was withdrawn from service at the end of the 1990s.
The synthetic images of the SR-72 are revealed at the end of this presentation video. © Maxwell Air Force Base
First flights from 2025
Its unmanned successor will therefore go more than twice as fast to carry out both intelligence missions and so-called “precision” bombing with missile equally hypersonic. On the range side, theaircraft could take off from the United States and fly over targets in Europe or Asia in less than 90 minutes. To achieve its flights, the SR-72 should be equipped with two types of engines. For take-off and cruising, we will thus find conventional turbines capable of reaching 3,700 km/h. Then, ramjets will come into operation to propel the aircraft to 7,400 km/h.
For Lockheed Martin, combining these two reactors poses concerns. As was the case in the development of the famous Blackbird, it is also necessary to find materials adapted to high temperatures and an efficient cooling system so that the engines can operate at unprecedented temperatures in speed hypersonic. Despite these constraints, the aircraft manufacturer is confident and estimates that the SR-72 will be able to fly from 2025 for entry into service in 2030.
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