Top secret US aircraft suspected to be revealed on satellite images

Plane suspected to be SR-72 on 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 aircraft is about 15 meters long and shaped like an arrow to reduce drag. However, some experts believe that the aircraft 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 digital computers, this aircraft would not have been built," Lockheed Martin vice president Jack O'Banion said yesterday.

SR-72 spy plane design. Photo: Lockheed Martin