By Kris Osborn, President, Center for Military Modernization
Maverick may have flashed across the screen accelerating in a as-of-yet unseen high-speed stealth fighter jet, capturing the attention and imagination of millions of fans.
Yet, was Tom Cruise appearing to travel in his Lockheed DarkStar SR-72 “Son of Blackbird” at unprecedented “hypersonic” speeds? The hollywood portrayal ignited massive amounts of speculation and enthusiasm for the future of manned stealth fighter attack, but how much of what Maverick displayed was, is, or could soon be real?
Is manned hypersonic flight already upon us? Can a human being actually survive in a hypersonic stealth jet traveling more than 6-times the speed of sound? Perhaps fiction is imitating reality? Or maybe reality will at some point soon replicate fiction?
Many reports an public essays say Lockheed’s stealthy, mysterious sleek-looking SR-72 is both real and acknowledged by the Air Force. Lockheed distributed poster images of the “conceptual” aircraft at the premier of the movie Maverick. What is the concept and what has Lockheed’s famous Skunk Works already engineered? Such questions likely continue to find a lasting resting place in the minds of fans and weapons enthusiasts.
At this point, there may not be a clear or definitive answer. In recent years, Warrior has talked to many US military scientists and innovators in regarding progress and the “realm” of possibility when it comes to hypersonic flight.
Army & Air Force Research Laboratories … a History of Possibility
Years ago, a former Air Force Chief Scientist talked to Warrior about the maturation of hypersonic technology in terms of what he called a “stairstep” approach, wherein each successful breakthrough would be separated by many years of experimentation and development. This conversation with Warrior and former Air Force Chief Scientist Gregory Zacharias took place more than ten years ago, and at the time Zacharias said he anticipated operational hypersonic weapons to be here by the early 2020s, and that hypersonic “drones” will likely be here by 2030. As for manned hypersonic flight, he did not dismiss the possibility but said that did not appear feasible at that time given the massive “heat” at which an aircraft would need to travel. When it comes to thermal management, Zacharias explained that the temperatures at hypersonic speeds are simply too high for a human being to survive. As an innovator and scientist, whose specialty was autonomy and unmanned systems, Zacharias did not fully deny that manned hypersonic flight could be possible at some point, but he did indicate it did not appear to be on the horizon.
Air Force Research Lab Commander Tells Warrior About Hypersonic Flight in 2022
Thus far, Zacharias’ timeframe seems about accurate, as in 2023 hypersonic weapons are, in fact, here, and hypersonic “drones” do not appear confirmed at the moment. Do hypersonic drones able to quickly conduct surveillance over enemy territory faster than they can be destroyed exist? This is the mystery of DarkStar SR-72 “Son of Blackbird,” as there may indeed have been innovations or so-called “disruptive” technological breakthroughs in the years since Zacharias made his predictions. The exact answers when it comes to manned or even unmanned drone hypersonic flight may not be available, yet what is known is that both the Air Force and Army Research Laboratories are working on breakthrough technologies of great relevance to hypersonic flight. Several years ago, Warrior visited the Army Research Laboratory and talked to scientists immersed in both “near-term” oriented research and longer term-focused “basic research.” A large part of the effort, ARL scientist Nicholas Ku, a Materials Engineer, Ceramic and Transparent Materials Branch, at DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory, told Warrior, involved ongoing experimentation with different combinations of materials to find “better performing” mixtures able to support and sustain hypersonic flight. Ku was experimenting with different combinations of ceramic, metal, polymer and composite materials at the microscopic level to identify weapons materials able to attack at lighter weights, travel faster, be more resistant to penetration and, of great relevance to hypersonic flight, manage seemingly impossible temperatures. Ku worked with teams of engineers to mix, test and heat different combinations of materials. Therefore, it seems “conceivable” that certain kinds of breakthrough discoveries able to better support hypersonic flight may have taken place. Or perhaps such breakthroughs are nearer-term than many may have anticipated.
Air Force Research Laboratory – “Boundary Layer” Phenomenology
Also several years ago, senior Air Force Research Laboratory scientists told Warrior experts were working on something referred to as “boundary layer phenomenology.” This pertains to the air flow surrounding a hypersonic projectile, as various kinds of aerodynamic configurations, shapes and contours could help ensure a hypersonic vehicle achieved and maintain what’s called a “laminar” or smooth airflow. This allows for a smoother, undisturbed flight trajectory for a hypersonic vehicle, ensuring it can remain on course to its target or destination. A “turbulent” air flow, by contrast, is when materials and molecules surrounding the hypersonic vehicle shift such that additional heat or turbulence are generated, throwing the weapon, drone or aircraft off course. Since this time, it is certainly conceivable that the AFRL and other scientist have uncovered new ways to manage and direct the “air flow” surrounding a hypersonic projectile such that its flight is not disrupted or thrown off course by turbulence.
The operative question here is, quite simply, what if any innovations in these areas may now enable “manned” hypersonic flight? Based on Zacharias’ predictions, and current challenges finalizing hypersonic weapons, it may seem unlikely that a human being can safely travel in a stealth fighter jet at hypersonic speeds …. but we may not know for sure at the moment. Perhaps reality will soon replicate fiction, or Maverick’s “fiction” is already replicating reality? The mystery seems to remain.
Kris Osborn is the President of Warrior Maven – Center for Military Modernization and the Defense Editor for the National Interest. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a Highly Qualified Expert with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army—Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Masters Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University.
