Lockheed MartinA plane which travels six times the speed of sound could be operational by 2018.
That is according to military defence firm Lockheed Martin, who hope their SR-72 will fly at around 4,500 miles per hour.
CEO of Lockheed Martin, Marillyn Hewson, is reported by CNBC as hoping the technology will stretch beyond military application.
She said:
The technology could also enable hypersonic passenger flights, and even easier access to space.
The SR-72 will utilise a stream of compressed air to propel the aircraft forwards, as opposed to relying on fan blades to compress air like conventional vessels, reports The Independent.
The aim is to advance hypersonic technology to a stage where planes can reach 20 times the speed of sound and a major factor in that development involves the materials used in production.
Unlike Concorde, which could reach twice the speed of sound, the SR-72 would be coated in ceramic tiles akin to those used on the Space Shuttle.
Lockheed also claim the prototype will cost less than $1 billion to produce.
An absolute bargain, apparently.
