For story suggestions please contact tips@nma.com.tw<br /><br />Lockheed Martin, the largest U.S. military contractor, on Friday unveiled plans for a new unmanned hypersonic spy plane dubbed the SR-72, according to a report by Reuters.<br /><br />The SR-72 is intended to succeed the now-retired SR-71 Blackbird, which was formerly a mainstay of the U.S. Air Force's spying and surveillance operations.<br /><br />The new aircraft would travel twice as fast as the supersonic Blackbird, reaching speeds of Mach 6, roughly 3,600 mph (5,800 km/h).<br /><br />At six times the speed of sound, the spy plane would be able to travel from New York to London in less than hour.<br /><br />Like its predecessor, the high-altitude plane would be able to outrun traditional surface-to-air missiles.<br /><br />"Speed is the next aviation advancement to counter emerging threats in the next several decades," wrote Brad Leland, Lockheed Martin's hypersonic programme manager, in a blogpost about the SR-72. "The technology would be a game-changer in theatre, similar to how stealth is changing the battlespace today."<br /><br />Lockheed Martin expects the SR-72 to be operational by 2030.<br />--------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />TomoNews is your daily source for top animated news. We've combined animation and video footage with a snarky personality to bring you the biggest and best stories from around the world.<br /><br />For news that's fun and never boring, visit our channel:<br />https://www.youtube.com/user/TomoNewsUS<br /><br />Subscribe to stay updated on all the top stories:<br />http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=TomoNewsUS<br /><br />Stay connected with us here:<br />Facebook http://www.facebook.com/TomoNewsUS<br />Twitter @tomonewsus http://www.twitter.com/TomoNewsUS<br />Google+ http://gplus.to/TomoNewsUS
