RQ-170 Sentinel

The Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel, nicknamed Wraith, is an American unmanned aerial vehicle operated by the United States Air Force on behalf of the Central Intelligence Agency. Introduced in 2007, it is a tailless flying wing built for aerial reconnaissance, and few official details of its design or capabilities have been released. It became publicly known as the "Beast of Kandahar" after being photographed at Kandahar Airfield, and drew wider attention when Iran captured an example in December 2011.

Development

The Sentinel was developed by Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works, and journalists have noted design commonality with the earlier RQ-3 DarkStar and Polecat programmes. One Air Force official described it as "the same concept as [the RQ-3] DarkStar, it's stealthy, and it uses the same apertures and data links, only it's bigger." United States Army Training Circular 3-01.80 gives a wingspan of 65 ft 7 in (20 m) and a length of 14 ft 9 in (4.50 m). Journalist David Axe reported in December 2012 that "20 or so" airframes had been built; between 20 and 30 were believed to be in service as of 2021. A USAF colonel stated that the RQ-170 is separate from the MQ-X programme and will not replace the MQ-1 Predator or MQ-9 Reaper.

Design

The RQ-170 is a flying wing with a single classified engine, speculated to be a General Electric TF34 or Garrett TFE731 turbofan, and pods built into the upper surface of each wing. Takeoff weight is estimated as greater than the RQ-3 DarkStar's 8,500 lb (3,900 kg), with a service ceiling unlikely to exceed 50,000 ft (15,000 m) and endurance of five to six hours. The design lacks zigzag-edged landing gear doors, sharp leading edges and a wing-shielded exhaust, which Aviation Week attributed to a deliberate avoidance of highly sensitive technologies given the loss risk of a single-engine aircraft. Bill Sweetman has assessed that it carries an electro-optical/infrared sensor and possibly an AESA radar in its belly fairing, with the wing fairings housing datalinks; the belly fairing may accommodate modular payloads. The New York Times reported that the aircraft carries communications intercept equipment and hyperspectral sensors able to detect trace radioactive isotopes and chemicals. The "RQ" designation indicates that the type does not carry weapons.

Operational History

The 30th Reconnaissance Squadron, activated on 1 September 2005 at Tonopah Test Range Airport, was the first operator; the 44th Reconnaissance Squadron followed on 1 April 2015. Sentinels deployed to Afghanistan by late 2007 and to Kunsan Air Base, South Korea, from 4 September 2009. On 2 May 2011 at least one RQ-170 provided live footage of the Naval Special Warfare Development Group assault on Osama bin Laden's compound and monitored Pakistani military radio traffic. In October 2012 an RQ-170 conducted bomb damage assessment for a Massive Ordnance Penetrator test drop from a B-2 Spirit. Iran downed and captured a lightly damaged Sentinel on 4 December 2011, releasing footage on 8 December; US officials confirmed it was genuine. At least one aircraft was used during the 2026 United States intervention in Venezuela.

Variants

• RQ-170 Sentinel: Baseline reconnaissance UAV operated by the 30th and 44th Reconnaissance Squadrons.
• Saegheh-2: Iranian reverse-engineered copy reported in September 2016, said to carry four precision-guided bombs; one was shot down by Israel in February 2018.
• Shahed 171 Simorgh: Further Iranian derivative based on the captured Sentinel.