It is no secret that Lockheed Martin has long been developing and testing sophisticated and highly classified technologies at its facilities. The images recorded by investigative YouTuber Anders Otteson appear to show the practical application of one of these technologies.
According to The Sun, the YouTuber was able to capture the footage after camping on public land overlooking Lockheed Martin’s radar test facilities in Helendale, California, where he filmed the unidentified object.
The footage, shot from a distance, shows what appears to be a dark, wing-shaped object mounted atop a white pillar.
The site is located within the Lockheed Helendale facilities, used by the company’s secretive Skunk Works division, situated in the middle of a remote desert.
Skunk Works is the official pseudonym for the United States defense company’s Advanced Development Programs (ADP), which develops ultra-secret aircraft and weapons.
For years, the test facility has been known for housing secret objects due to its history of developing classified and high-tech aerospace technology.
Some of the United States’ most innovative and secretive aircraft, including the U-2 spy plane, the SR-71 Blackbird, and the F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighter, are known to have been developed at this facility.
The secrecy surrounding Skunk Works projects has fueled public speculation and conspiracy theories suggesting that the organization is involved in reverse engineering of alien technology.
Throughout the clip, the object, which resembles an aircraft fuselage, can be seen floating atop the pillar as if being tested by radar.
In one frame, a distinct blue area is visible on its upper surface.
Mr Otteson, who runs a YouTube channel to document remote secret sites across the US, said it could be an advanced aircraft technology being tested.
He told The Sun: “It could be something that is in an early stage of development, it could be a new manned fighter or a new drone.
“It could also be a model that is developed specifically for a test… say they’re going to test a new type of paint, or a new particular component.”
The investigative YouTuber, who has filmed near classified facilities including the infamous Area 51, also linked the Skunk Works team to alien technology.
A slew of conspiracy theories suggests that many projects at the facility involve reverse-engineering tech whose origins are extraterrestrial.
US officials and elected politicians are currently rallying for information about unknown objects flying in US airspace – including one of Trump’s top team, Marco Rubio.
And there have been numerous high-profile hearings on the subject, with suggestions the US has “exotic” technology held under wraps.
Mr Otteson said if the US government possesses advanced or “alien” technology, Skunk Works would almost certainly be involved.
“The Hellendale facility also has a massive underground chamber below it that’s 200 feet deep,” he said.
“It has spawned a lot of speculation about what other advanced projects might be being worked on in an underground facility like that.
“It is a good place to store advanced technology underground and that is partially why it was built to hide secrets from Soviet espionage.
“Any other kinds of technology that Lockheed may be in possession of, that’d be a place that they could store it, essentially.”
Located northwest of Victorville, Lockheed Martin’s Helendale facility was designed during the Cold War to protect America’s next-generation aircraft from the prying eyes of the Soviets.
The facility is known to have several test pylons, radar arrays, and control stations to test the stealth technology of military aircraft.
Speculations also indicate the unknown object could be America’s SR-72 “Darkstar” – a top-secret US Air Force project that could revolutionise the military aircraft technology.
Dubbed “Son of Blackbird”, it is thought to be the potential answer to a near-perfect plane as it’s set up to be a super-fast, hypersonic high-altitude surveillance aircraft.
It is thought that next-generation aircraft could potentially reach speeds of Mach 6 (4000mph) – doubling its predecessor’s top speed and introducing cutting-edge capabilities for modern combat scenarios.
According to Airforce Technology, the aircraft will be a hypersonic reconnaissance aircraft which will use state-of-the-art aerospace technology for long-range missions.
It will also be capable of hitting targets on any continent within an hour, provided it is equipped with hypersonic missiles, Interesting Engineering reports.
Lockheed Martin announced in 2018 that they are working on the SR-72 project, with a prototype expected to fly very soon.
The US Air Force and the Pentagon have never officially confirmed or denied the existence of the craft.
It is also not yet clear if Lockheed Martin has been given an official go-ahead by the USAF to complete a prototype for consideration.
Some fans have added the “Darkstar” moniker to the SR-72 name after a similar concept plane with the same name was seen in Top Gun: Maverick, which was released in 2022.
Below, watch the full video of the YouTuber on an expedition to the site, capturing the mysterious aircraft.
