Richard Lamb wrote:

Bill Shatzer wrote:

-snip-

Given that we have no equivalent replacement I would expect them to be
used.

Of course there's an equivalent replacement - they're orbiting several
hundreds of kilometers up and go by names like KH-12, Improved
Chrystal, Indigo, LaCrosse, Vega, and likely a half a dozen other
names still classified.

The SR-71 was retired because there's no need for its capabilities any
longer. Everything the SR-71 could do can now be done cheaper and
better (and more safely) by satellites.

Balderdash.
It was retired on pure economic reasons.

Like I mentioned - "can now be done cheaper".

The satellites may give good picture, but what you want is a picture
while the other guy has his pants down.

We ain't gonna be flying spy missions over the Soviet Union. For one
thing, the Soviet Union no longer exists.

For the rest of the world, the U-2Rs and U-2Ss and the Global Hawk UAVs
are perfectly adequate to catch folks with their pants down at much less
cost and considerably less risk.

And they're gonna be phasing the U-2s out starting this year.
As soon as adequate numbers of the UAVs and RPVs are in service, the
U-2s will not needed any more either.

A satellite is as predictable in its path as the stars in the heavens.

Satellites generally don't carry enough fuel for the huge delta-V's
required to work the bird on an irregular schedule.

That's the one thing the Blackbirds could do that nothing else could.

Mach 3 and 80,000 feet is no longer required. The satellites and
UAVs/RPVs are more than adequate.

Peace and justice,