Lockheed TR-X

Unmanned Stealth Aircraft Proposal

United States | 2025

"The Lockheed TR-X is a proposed stealth UAV intended to succeed the aging line of U-2 spyplanes and expensive Northtrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk UAVs."

Image from official Lockheed Martin marketing material.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 05/21/2018 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

The United States Air Force (USAF) is seeking to retire its aging line of Lockheed U-2 spy planes as soon as 2019 but this leaves a noticeable hole in the service's conventional high-altitude tactical reconnaissance section - the only other viable alternative remains the expensive Northrop Grumman RQ-4 "Global Hawk" line. In response, Lockheed has drawn up plans for the "TR-X", a stealth-minded unmanned air vehicle to take the place of the storied U-2 in the USAF inventory. The new air vehicle will be developed along the same mission lines as the U-2 - namely Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance (IRS) missions - and operate at altitudes around 70,000 feet to steer clear of most enemy air defenses and interceptors.

It is expected that the design will carry the same (or similar) powerplant as the outgoing U-2, making it subsonic in flight, and stealth features proven on other Lockheed products (including the F-22 and F-35 aircraft) will heavily influence the overall design of the aircraft. Current conceptual artwork showcases a black design form with swept-back wing mainplanes, outward-cranked tail fins, and a dorsal intake set aft of the nose. All mission equipment will be held internally with a modular payload capability being built-in. Support for existing U-2 and RQ-4 equipment will also play into the new design.

As it stands, Lockheed foresees an initial batch of thirty TR-X unmanned stealth aircraft to succeed the U-2 in USAF service (the new product will also threaten the competing unmanned RQ-4 which is a conventional - non-stealthy- design). The TR-X foray by Lockheed marks its first entry into the realm of unmanned stealth aircraft since the cancelled RQ-3 "Darkstar" (detailed elsewhere on this site). Early modest estimates call for about $3.8 billion in spending to bring the TR-X about.

It remains a realistic prospect that the U-2 will continue in operational service into the 2020s despite the expected 2019 retirement date.

All presented figures showcased below are pure estimates on the part of the author and based on current U-2 capabilities.

Content ©MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.

Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Lockheed TR-X Unmanned Stealth Aircraft Proposal.

1 x General Electric F118 turbofan engine (or similar) developing an estimated 20,000lb of thrust.
Propulsion

497 mph
800 kph | 432 kts
Max Speed

69,882 ft
21,300 m | 13 miles
Service Ceiling

6,400 miles
10,300 km | 5,562 nm
Operational Range

Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the Lockheed TR-X Unmanned Stealth Aircraft Proposal.

0
(UNMANNED)
Crew

52.5 ft
16.00 m
O/A Length

68.9 ft
(21.00 m)
O/A Width

14.8 ft
(4.50 m)
O/A Height

12,125 lb
(5,500 kg)
Empty Weight

Armament
Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the Lockheed TR-X Unmanned Stealth Aircraft Proposal .

None. Mission equipment will include that as found on the U-2 and RQ-4 platforms, mainly sensors and other tracking / data components.

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Lockheed TR-X family line.

TR-X - Base Project Designation

UQ-2 - Alternative name

RQ-X - Alternative name

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Lockheed TR-X. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.

Total Production: 0 Units
Contractor(s): Lockheed Martin - USA

[ United States (assumed) ]

1 / 1

Image from official Lockheed Martin marketing material.

Going Further...
The Lockheed TR-X Unmanned Stealth Aircraft Proposal appears in the following collections:

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