Analysis | Did China copy the US SR-71 Blackbird with the new Yunxing supersonic aircraft?.

As reported by the South China Morning Post on October 28, 2024, a Chinese aerospace company, Space Transportation, has reported progress in developing its supersonic passenger aircraft, the Yunxing. The aircraft is designed to transport passengers from Beijing to New York in two hours, cruising at speeds of Mach 4—double the speed of the Concorde, which retired in 2003. However, the Yunxing's design bears a striking resemblance to the SR-71 Blackbird, the renowned American reconnaissance aircraft retired in 1998, raising questions about its intended use and suitability for commercial operations, even for sub-orbital spaceflight.
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Like the SR-71 Blackbird, the Yunxing's structure is composed of lightweight, high-strength composite materials, designed to withstand extreme conditions, such as aerodynamic heating that can raise surface temperatures above 1,000 degrees Celsius. (Picture source: Lingkong Tianxing Technology)

The Yunxing's structure is composed of lightweight, high-strength composite materials, designed to withstand extreme conditions, such as aerodynamic heating that can raise surface temperatures above 1,000 degrees Celsius. Its high lift-to-drag ratio is intended to ensure efficient performance even at high altitudes, contributing to its commercial and operational potential. Unlike traditional horizontal takeoff and landing aircraft, the Yunxing employs vertical takeoff and landing capabilities. This feature, combined with its ability to ascend to altitudes exceeding 20,000 meters, enables it to bypass traditional runway constraints and potentially operate from smaller, urban airport facilities. The company has depicted this process through animations showing the aircraft being launched by booster rockets, gliding at high speeds, and decelerating through a combination of subsonic flight and liquid rocket engines before landing vertically.

Founded in 2018, Space Transportation, also known as Lingkong Tianxing Technology, operates from multiple locations across China, including Beijing, Xi'an, and Anhui, with a testing facility in Xinjiang. The company collaborates with universities and research institutions and has contributed to projects like the "Feitian-1" hypersonic vehicle in 2022. While primarily focused on supersonic passenger aircraft, Space Transportation is also developing suborbital space tourism platforms and hypersonic vehicles for military and research purposes. Analysts speculate that its passenger-oriented projects might serve as a cover for potential military applications, such as high-altitude reconnaissance platforms or vehicles for anti-satellite weaponry. These theories are supported by the advanced aerospace technologies integrated into the project, combining aerodynamic efficiency, thermal protection, and precise control systems.

Until now, there was no publicly available information indicating that China has developed or is developing a direct replica of the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, the U.S. reconnaissance aircraft known for its high-speed and high-altitude capabilities. However, China has been advancing its own high-speed reconnaissance and surveillance technologies. The People's Liberation Army Air Force has introduced the WZ-8, an unmanned aerial vehicle capable of high-altitude, high-speed reconnaissance missions. Launched from an H-6 bomber, the WZ-8 is reported to achieve speeds exceeding Mach 3, comparable to the SR-71's performance.

China has also been investing in hypersonic technology, involving speeds greater than the speed of sound, another point of convergence with the development of the SR-71 Blackbird. The development of hypersonic glide vehicles and missiles suggests a focus on advancing capabilities in high-speed flight, potentially applicable to future reconnaissance platforms. Notable developments include the DF-ZF hypersonic glide vehicle, capable of speeds between Mach 5 and Mach 10, and performing evasive maneuvers during flight. The DF-ZF likely became operational around October 2019. In November 2024, during the China Airshow in Zhuhai, China unveiled the GDF-600 hypersonic glide vehicle, developed by the Guangdong Aerodynamic Research Academy. The GDF-600 can reach speeds up to Mach 7 and is designed to carry various payloads, including submunitions, drones, and unmanned aerial systems.

The Yunxing's sleek design, with its pointed nose and twin-engine configuration, evokes a close resemblance to the SR-71's streamlined structure, optimized for high-speed performance and minimal radar signature. (Picture source: Lingkong Tianxing Technology)

Additionally, China has been enhancing its anti-satellite capabilities through the use of kinetic kill vehicles (KKVs), which are designed to destroy targets through direct collision, relying on kinetic energy rather than explosive warheads. In 2007, China conducted an anti-satellite test by launching a ballistic missile carrying a kinetic kill vehicle that destroyed the defunct Fengyun-1C weather satellite at an altitude of 865 kilometers. This demonstrated China's capability to eliminate satellites in low Earth orbit using kinetic energy. China has also developed the HQ-19 anti-ballistic missile interceptor, equipped with a dual-purpose exoatmospheric kinetic kill vehicle warhead, designed to engage both ballistic missile warheads and satellites. There is therefore nothing to stop China from developing a new, more discreet and faster means of launching a KKV in the event of war, which could further enhance the strategic value of the Yunxing.

In the United States, Lockheed Martin continues to work on the SR-72, the anticipated hypersonic successor to the SR-71 Blackbird. On July 29, 2024, reports indicated that Lockheed Martin’s classified program, likely related to the SR-72 hypersonic aircraft, encountered a budget overrun of $45 million in the second quarter of 2024. Total losses associated with this unnamed classified program have now reached approximately $335 million since 2022, reflecting financial challenges during the project's development.

These budget overruns suggest that Lockheed Martin is making substantial investments in the SR-72 project, potentially advancing it toward operational status. The company has acknowledged uncertainties involved in such programs, emphasizing variability in cost and time estimates, along with technical challenges typical of advanced aerospace projects. Evidence of the SR-72's progression includes the expansion of Lockheed’s Skunk Works facility in Palmdale, California, where advanced manufacturing techniques like 3D printing of composite structures are employed. The workforce at Lockheed’s Palmdale facility has expanded significantly, with over 5,500 employees reported as of September 2023, more than doubling since 2018.

The SR-72 is expected to be powered by a turbine-based combined cycle engine, integrating a traditional turbine engine with a scramjet. This configuration allows it to transition from subsonic to hypersonic speeds, potentially reaching Mach 6—twice the speed of the SR-71. Designed to serve as both an intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance asset and a strike platform, the SR-72 could provide the U.S. military with enhanced capabilities in both reconnaissance and strike operations, with an expected service entry by 2030.

The officially-civilian Lockheed Martin’s X-59 Quiet Supersonic Technology experimental aircraft has also reached a development milestone with its first engine run at the Skunk Works facility. Announced by NASA on November 6, 2024, the X-59 aims to reduce the noise impact of supersonic flight over land, potentially informing future regulations for commercial supersonic travel. The aircraft is designed to produce a quieter sonic effect, described as a "thump," even at supersonic speeds. Testing of the X-59 may provide data and engineering insights relevant to the SR-72's development, particularly in areas like high-speed aerodynamics, structural integrity at high speeds, and managing thermal and acoustic effects associated with hypersonic flight.

The SR-71 Blackbird was developed as a black project by Lockheed's Skunk Works division in the 1960s, based on the Lockheed A-12 reconnaissance aircraft. (Picture source: US DoD)