By Kris Osborn, Warrior
Using aerodynamic configurations, composite materials to withstand intense heat and scramjet propulsion technology …. could the secretly emerging, mysterious yet much-discussed SR-72 DarkStar fly hypersonic speeds of Mach 6 with a human pilot? The answer to this pertains to cutting edge technological questions regarding how impactful and relevant the largely unknown DarkStar could become.
Hypersonic weapons are certainly here, yet hypersonic drones for high-speed sensing and attack and manned hypersonic flight advance this equation in a substantial way. Manned hypersonic flight would potentially be paradigm-changing and arrive as something which would unquestionably change concepts of operation. Does the arrival of manned 6th-gen stealth aircraft render the DarkStar unnecessary?
Therefore, despite the anticipated merits of manned hypersonic flight, it seems plausible that some weapons developers at the Pentagon might consider cancelling the SR-72 for cost reasons with the idea of freeing up more money for emerging stealth drones and 6th-generation aircraft.
Keep the SR-72 Dark Star
Could the arrival of the ultra-strealthy F-47 and soon to exist F/A-XX lead some Pentagon decision makers to re-evaluate the merits of producing the mysterious, yet highly coveted hypersonic SR-72 DarkStar? Clearly not producing the DarkStar might save the Pentagon money it could spend elsewhere, yet the tactical merits of introducing aerial surveillance, targeting and attack at hypersonic speeds cannot be underestimated.
Fast-arriving 6th-gen aircraft such as the F-47 are expected to travel at speeds of at least Mach 2 or greater with new generations of stealth technology, capabilities which would be massively complemented by a drone or manned platform traveling at Mach 6. Initially, one is likely to consider the simple, self-evident value of pure speed in war; a hypersonic platform could conduct attack missions and Intelligence Reconnaissance and Surveillance (ISR) operations at speeds seemingly impossible for enemy air defenses to “track” ot “target.”
The Pentagon is well aware of this phenomenon, due to its ongoing work on hypersonic weapons and possible defenses against them; a projectile traveling at hypersonic speeds can make it extremely difficult if not impossible for any ground-based radar to establish a continuous target “track” by simply traveling too quickly from one radar field of regard to another. The speed of transit from one radar aperture to another with hypersonic projectiles greatly complicates targeting a moving jet. This of course would hold true for hypersonic drones and manned jets as well, a circumstance indicating that the SR-72 could potentially add unprecedented value.
Mach 6 Survivability
When viewed through the lens of pure survivability, a stealthy fighter or drone traveling at Mach 6 would likely be more survivable than even 6th-gen stealth aircraft. This is of great tactical relevance, because advanced air defenses are improving with high-speed digital networking, narrow-beam precision detection and even AI-enabled target verification technologies. Russian media reports have for years claimed that the country’s S-400 and S-500 surface to air missiles are capable of tracking and engaging “stealth” aircraft. These claims may not be proven or accurate per say, as it seems likely that even the most advanced Russian air defenses are likely to have trouble identifying or targeting the F-47. Nonetheless, an ability to fly, surveil, network and attack at hypersonic speeds would only increase the detection challenges for ground-based SAMS need to establish a radar “lock” and target “track.”
Air Attack at Mach 6
A hypersonic drone could enter enemy airspace, gain critical intelligence and exit much too fast for an adversary to detect, something which helps secure an element of surprise and rapid-strike capability. A “manned” hypersonic jet would not only increase survivability for pilots but add additional dwell time options for extended attack. Perhaps most of all, manned hypersonic travel such as that envisioned for the DarkStar would bring human decision-making faculties to the tip of the spear on the edge of combat at unprecedented speeds. If networked sufficiently, a hypersonic drone and stealthy attack fighter could complement one another in air combat operations; a hypersonic drone could enter enemy airspace and perform key targeting to identify areas of attack, locate enemy air defenses and guide a manned hypersonic DarkStar platform to integrate human decision-making at hypersonic speeds.
Kris Osborn is the President of Warrior Maven – Center for Military Modernization. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a highly qualified expert in 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