11 USAF Declared SR 72 Darkstar Is Finally Ready to Fly: [ Ссылка ]
As the SR-71 Blackbird took its final bow, many believed aerial reconnaissance had peaked, with nothing left to match its speed and mystique. But few knew what was brewing: the SR-72, Lockheed Martin’s hypersonic, next-gen stealth drone—an airborne specter and a nightmare for any defense system it encounters. What secrets lie within this cutting-edge marvel, and can it really surpass its legendary predecessor?
Ask anyone to name the most iconic U.S. spy plane, and the SR-71 Blackbird is likely to be on everyone’s lips. But this masterpiece of stealth had its roots in a high-stakes incident from the 1960s, when a daring American pilot, Gary Powers, was shot down while flying a U-2 Dragon Lady over Soviet territory. That incident was a wake-up call: the U.S. realized the era of simple reconnaissance was over, as advancing radar and missile technology left the Dragon Lady vulnerable. America needed an aircraft faster, higher-flying, and nearly invisible. The answer? A mysterious new project with the CIA’s blessing.

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