Mach 6 Aircraft In Development, According To Hewson

Lockheed Martin Corporation CEO Marillyn Hewson revealed that the company is continuing to develop a military aircraft that could reach speeds of up to Mach 6 to respond to security threats far more quickly than conventional aircraft.

Hewson's remarks came at the company's annual media day. She said that the company was producing an "aerodynamic configuration" that would be capable of reaching those speeds that serve in a "prompt global strike" capacity for the U.S. Defense Department, according to a report from Reuters.

Hewson said that LMC could produce a demonstrator of such an airplane, which would be about the size of an F-22, for under $1 billion.

But the first hypersonic device will not be manned, according to Orlando Carvalho, head of Lockheed's Aeronautics division. He said that the company plans to start with a hypersonic "weapon" before moving into something resembling an aircraft. He said that the U.S. could very likely make a hypersonic weapon a reality in the 2020s, but it would be at least another 10 years before there might be a viable hypersonic aircraft like the SR-72, plans for which the company unveiled in 2013.

(Image from file)

FMI: www.lockheedmartin.com