Thread

1. walrus01 · 1790727565 · focus · HN ↗

   I'd be more astonished if there isn't something superior to the SR71 (likely unmanned) that has been flying around at night from facilities like Groom Lake for years. Look at how long the RQ180 was flying around in semi-public and known about before it became seen in daylight by plane spotters in Greece. And a long time before that there were public relations approved photos of the Lockheed Martin Polecat.

   There were a series of extremely public quotations from senior DoD officially recently about how they plan to aggressively retire the Global Hawk program (which is a mostly non stealth aircraft), reading between the lines it's because they have something much better.

   edit: for those who haven&#x27;t seen the RQ180: <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.google.com&#x2F;search?client=firefox-b-d&amp;q=RQ180+greece" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.google.com&#x2F;search?client=firefox-b-d&amp;q=RQ180+gre...

   edit 2 (apologies for the X link): <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;x.com&#x2F;MechDesignxyz&#x2F;status&#x2F;2041281689838584193" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;x.com&#x2F;MechDesignxyz&#x2F;status&#x2F;2041281689838584193

   1. tiffanyh · 1790730705 · focus · HN ↗

      Didn’t satellites with superior optics and realtime video streaming … kill the need for an SR71 update?

      1. t2r3121 · 1790731068 · focus · HN ↗

         For visual and SAR, sure, but there are other missions like electronic warfare and signals intelligence that are still well served by aircraft.

         1. adastra22 · 1790731421 · focus · HN ↗

            Not by a mach 3+ aircraft. Good luck getting signals through the plasma of your own wake!

            1. LargoLasskhyfv · 1790734302 · focus · HN ↗

               Plasma is electrically conductive. Modulate it as needed, in realtime.

               Enjoy the dynamically phased plasmarray.

               1. HelloNurse · 1790761790 · focus · HN ↗

                  I don&#x27;t think the Blackbird has the sort of engine that likes being &quot;modulated&quot;.

                  1. LargoLasskhyfv · 1790803078 · focus · HN ↗

                     What do the engines have to do with plasma around the hull, or rather its leading edges, caused by supersonic speed, which never ever even enter them?

                     And if you&#x27;re thinking of the exhaust, why would that matter at all for signals reception and transmission, with the exception of a small cone from right behind?

         2. qingcharles · 1790746398 · focus · HN ↗

            Those wouldn&#x27;t likely fall under NASA&#x27;s remit and budget, though?

            1. actionfromafar · 1790753618 · focus · HN ↗

               No, but in Trumpistan, does it matter?
      2. pwg · 1790778317 · focus · HN ↗

         The official public reason for NASA having an SR-71 back when they were still flying one was for extreme high altitude atmospheric tests&#x2F;experiments. No other plane (at least at the time) could fly at the altitudes the SR-71 could.

         Whether that was a cover story for additional spying by the NASA SR-71 is unknown to those of us without the necessary security clearances.

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