SR-72: Many Years in Development The SR-72 has a long path to fruition even though expectations are that the technology demonstrator could make its first flight in two to four years.

What You Need to Know: The SR-72, developed by Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works, is a proposed hypersonic reconnaissance aircraft aimed to fill critical intelligence gaps in the U.S. Air Force.

It stands to reason that the next jet in the series would be assigned the designation SR-72, and as it happens, there is such an aircraft in development. Unfortunately, it's not what you see in ...