12/15/2023 0 Comments Military futuristic badass tanks![]() ![]() With stealth capabilities and an ability to cruise at 70,000 feet for at least 24 hours, the TR-X could become a constant eye in the sky. needs both the SR-72 and something like the TR-X for differing roles. Northrop has a secretive program to develop the RQ-180, a likely successor to the Global Hawk, and Lockheed is also developing the hypersonic SR-72 as a successor to the classic SR-71 Blackbird that was retired in 1998. However, the TR-X is not the only spy aircraft the Air Force is considering. Play icon The triangle icon that indicates to play ![]() Some portion of the TR-X fleet-which Lockheed imagines being about 30 aircraft and costing $3.8 billion-could be upgraded to a fully stealth aircraft with a new angular shape and radar-absorbing skin, according to Aviation Week. This would fill an immediate need for ISR capabilities that could then be upgraded down the road. Thus, the TR-X combines the U-2's high-flying abilities-the new aircraft would use the same GE F118 engine as the U-2, allowing it to fly at 70,000 feet-with the unmanned advantages of the Global Hawk. The aerospace contractor is planning to make a high-flying, hard-to-see drone that can carry the contents of the U-2's nose (a variety of high-tech radar and imaging systems). Lockheed's Skunk Works hopes its new unmanned design, currently called the TR-X project, will prove a capable replacement for both the U-2-which the Air Force plans to retire in 2019-and the Global Hawk. The planes we have now, like Lockheed's iconic piloted U-2 and Northrup Grumman's unmanned RQ-4 Global Hawk, can no longer operate as close to hostile borders as they used to. Capable intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft have become more important than ever as missile defense systems in countries like China and Russia continue to improve. The Air Force needs to upgrade its fleet of spy planes.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |