URLNet - Skunk Works (Lockheed Martin)

Skunk Works is an official pseudonym for Lockheed Martin's Advanced Development Programs (ADP), the company's tactical research and development arm. It is responsible for a number of aircraft designs, highly classified development programs, and exotic aircraft platforms. Although locations for this group are typically classified, publicly-known locations have been reported on United States Air Force manufacturing bases Plant 42 (Palmdale), Plant 4 (Fort Worth), and Plant 6 (Marietta). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skunk_Works https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/who-we-are/business-areas/aeronautics/skunkworks.html (edited)

Pseudonym

A pseudonym (; from Ancient Greek ψευδώνυμος (pseudṓnumos) 'falsely named') or alias () is a fictitious name that a person assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individual's own. Many pseudonym holders use th...

United States Air Force

The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is a part of the United States Department of Defense (DoD) and is one of the six armed forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its origins to 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal Corps, the ...

United States Air Force Plant 42

United States Air Force Plant 42 (IATA: PMD, ICAO: KPMD, FAA LID: PMD) is a classified aircraft manufacturing plant owned by the United States Air Force in the Antelope Valley, about 60 miles (100 kilometers) from downtown Los Angeles. It is also used by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Plant 42 shares a runway with Palm...

Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird

The Lockheed SR-71 "Blackbird" is a retired long-range), high-altitude, Mach 3+ strategic reconnaissance aircraft that was developed and manufactured by the American aerospace company Lockheed Corporation. Its nicknames include "Blackbird" and "Habu". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_SR-71_Blackbird (edited)

Mach number

The Mach number (M or Ma), often only Mach (; German: [max]), is a dimensionless quantity in fluid dynamics representing the ratio of flow velocity past a boundary to the local speed of sound. It is named after Austrian-Czech physicist and philosopher Ernst Mach. M = ...

Reconnaissance aircraft

A reconnaissance aircraft (colloquially, a spy plane) is a military aircraft designed or adapted to perform aerial reconnaissance with roles including collection of imagery intelligence (including using photography), signals intelligence, as well as measurement and signature intelligence. Modern technology has also enabled some aircraft and UAV...

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Lockheed SR-72 Darkstar

The Lockheed Martin SR-72, commonly referred to as "Son of Blackbird", is an American hypersonic concept intended for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance) (ISR). It was proposed privately in 2013 by Lockheed Martin as a successor to the retired Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird. As of 2025, no confirmed flight tests have occurred and the SR‑72 remains a design concept with speculation persisting about potential service entry in the 2030s (edited)

Hypersonic speed

In aerodynamics, hypersonic speed refers to speeds much faster than the speed of sound, usually more than approximately Mach 5. The precise Mach number at which a craft can be said to be flying at hypersonic speed varies, since individual physical changes in the airflow (like molecular dissociation and ionization) occur at different speeds; thes...

Lockheed Martin

The Lockheed Martin Corporation is an American defense and aerospace manufacturer. It is headquartered in North Bethesda, Maryland, United States. The company was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta on March 15, 1995. Lockheed Martin operates 4 divisions: Lockheed Martin Aeronautics (39% of 2024 revenues); Lockheed...

Intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance

ISTAR stands for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance. In its macroscopic sense, ISTAR is a practice that links several battlefield functions together to assist a combat force in employing its sensors and managing the information they gather. Information is collected on the battlefield through systematic observation...

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