Top secret US aircraft suspected to be revealed on satellite images
Satellite images of a Lockheed Martin factory show an aircraft believed to be the SR-72 supersonic spy plane.
Plane suspected to be SR-72 in satellite image. Photo: Sputnik
A strange aircraft was discovered by analysts on Google Earth satellite images of Lockheed Martin's factory in Florida, USA. This appears to be the SR-72 supersonic spy plane being developed by the corporation, Sputnik reported on January 11.
The plane is about 15 meters long and shaped like an arrow to reduce drag. However, some experts believe the plane in the satellite image is just a model, as the actual SR-72 prototype could have been more than 30 meters long.
The SR-72 project was born to replace the SR-71 Blackbird reconnaissance aircraft, which was retired in 1998. The SR-72 is said to have a maximum speed of up to 7,500 km/h, 6 times faster than sound.
Lockheed Martin has not released any details about the SR-72, but it has revealed that a prototype has been completed. "Without the digital computer, this aircraft would not have been built," Lockheed Martin vice president Jack O'Banion said yesterday.
SR-72 spy plane design. Photo: Lockheed Martin
