Key Points and Summary – Could China or Russia shoot down the SR-72 Darkstar? A strong case is made for the SR-72 “DarkStar” hypersonic aircraft, centering on the argument that its Mach 6 speed is a revolutionary tactical advantage.
-This blistering velocity would make it highly survivable, able to outfly even advanced, networked air defenses like Russia’s S-500 by moving too fast for them to maintain a target lock.
SR-72 artist image. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
-Planned as both a reconnaissance and possible strike platform capable of launching its own hypersonic weapons, the SR-72 could be a game-changer.
-However, the primary risk is that by the time it’s operational, adversaries may have developed hypersonic interceptors to counter it.
SR-72 Darkstar: Russia or China Can’t Shoot it Down?
You just can’t beat hypersonic speed. Aircraft capable of flying at this velocity can be a valuable asset, as they can survive in a multi-threat environment. Take the proposed SR-72 Darkstar and its MACH 6 speed. This airplane will someday outfox air defenses and outfly surface-to-air missiles. The “son’ of the SR-71 Blackbird, due to its blistering speed, could be better than having a new fully-stealth reconnaissance airplane.
Son of Blackbird Is Intensely Fast
The SR-72 will go almost twice as fast as the SR-71, and the Blackbird always had success against enemy air defenses, although there were some accidents. The SR-72 has a planned turbine-based combined cycle engine that creates newfangled scramjet technology. This makes for an uber-fast hot rod that has many aviation enthusiasts salivating at the possibility that the Son of Blackbird could revolutionize flight.
No Existing Air Defense Could Challenge Its Supremacy
The Darkstar would have to be identified and tracked by enemy sensors and radar for its surface-to-air missile systems. Of course, the enemy is convinced that it can someday launch its own hypersonic interceptors to destroy airplanes like the SR-72.
Still, the MACH 6 speed of the Darkstar will give adversaries fits as it streaks through the skies at ultra-high altitude. The Son of Blackbird can also fly from radar station to radar station quicker than these systems can maintain “lock.”
The Enemy Would Try Deeply Layered Air Defense Arrays
However, advanced SAM systems such as the Russian S-400 and S-500 could be a problem for Darkstar.
They can network together and pass along information that would allow tracking from one SAM installation to another. A multiple SAM-layered defense grouping is what the adversaries would attempt to protect against this kind of high-speed surveillance aircraft.
Watch Out for the Ultra-high Heat Generated at Hypersonic Speed
There is another problem for the SR-72, and that is the high heat generated by that exceptionally high velocity. The US military has its best researchers working on ways to mitigate this problem with new composites and coatings to make hypersonic flight safer.
These are carbon composites with an extreme ability to withstand thermal signatures.
Scientists at the Air Force Research Laboratory are also toiling on a trait called “laminar airflow.” This smooths out the instability of the flight path, making the recon bird easier to fly.
The SR-72 features stealth attributes, including radar-absorbing coating and components, which enhance its radar evasion capabilities. However, the SR-72 is better known for speed than stealth. The big question is how well the recon bird can survive in a multi-threat environment.
As it stands now, my money is on the Darkstar to be survivable against the S-400 and S-500 SAMs. These systems do not have a quick enough response time to catch the SR-72 flying at MACH 6. Don’t forget that the SR-72 can also deliver ground strike missions.
The Darkstar is planned to launch hypersonic weapons that would create opportunities to blast enemy radar and command and control centers.
This capability is exciting if it can actually be integrated into the Son of Blackbird. With hypersonic weapons, SR-72 is a much more survivable airplane. It can fly anywhere, anytime, in a matter of hours to collect intelligence, and its guns clear the path for other fighter jets and bombers that the Air Force wants to deploy.
Or it could be a strict reconnaissance airplane during peacetime. This war-peace capability would be an excellent addition to the existing airplanes in the fleet.
Can the Air Force Afford Building the SR-72 in Numbers?
Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works has been working on the Son of Blackbird for an undisclosed amount of time (maybe since 2007), and the airplane is expensive. The entire program has gone over budget by $335 million. We could even surmise that the project goes back to 1998 when the SR-71 was retired.
It will take much time, resources, and money to keep the SR-72 program afloat. Other airplanes like the F-47 NGAD and the B-21 Raider will be sucking up the funds. But it appears that the Air Force loves the idea of having a recon-strike aircraft that can outfly enemy air defenses at MACH 6. That speed would make it difficult to see with human eyes.
How many SR-72s could actually be built? Would 20 or more Darkstars change the way the Air Force fights? After all, the United States has plenty of reconnaissance satellites. But the Darkstar will be an advanced and exciting hypersonic technology demonstrator that could add capabilities to even seventh-generation flight despite its Cold War-era origins dating back to when the SR-71 graced the skies.
However, some analysts and combat planners would make an interesting argument against that accusation. The United States could indeed be in a new Cold War with Russia and China, and the SR-72 would be needed to collect the kind of intelligence that would give the Americans an advantage in the same way that the SR-71 was so instrumental.
YF-12A. A similar plane to the A-12 Oxcart and SR-71. Credit: NSJ.
SR-71 Blackbird Spy Plane Back in 2022. Image Credit: National Security Journal/Harry J. Kazianis.
Let’s give this program a chance to deliver the goods. MACH 6 flight is a delight to envision. I love the ground strike capability when it is equipped with hypersonic weapons someday. It should be able to outfly enemy SAMs – at least the ones that exist now. The Darkstar has some stealth attributes, although it is not fully stealthy. This would be a tremendous and exciting airplane to have in the fleet.
However, I don’t see the SR-72 being built in great numbers. It will be too expensive and time-consuming to produce. I also worry that Russia and China might develop hypersonic SAMs, which could erode the advantages of the Son of Blackbird. By the time the SR-72 comes on active duty, it could be overcome by adversarial technological improvements to air defenses.
About the Author: Brent M. Eastwood
Brent M. Eastwood, PhD is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for US Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former US Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
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