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Subject: Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel
Date: 6 May 2017 08:11:26 -0700
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_Martin_RQ-170_Sentinel
The Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)
developed by Lockheed Martin and operated by the United States Air Force (USAF)
for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). While the USAF has released few
details on the UAV's design or capabilities, defense analysts believe that it is
a stealth aircraft fitted with aerial reconnaissance equipment.
RQ-170s have been reported to have operated in Afghanistan as part of Operation
Enduring Freedom. It has been confirmed that the UAVs have operated over
Pakistan and Iran; operations over Pakistan included sorties that collected
intelligence before and during the operation which led to the death of Osama bin
Laden in May 2011.
In December 2011, the Iranian armed forces captured an RQ-170 flying over Iran.
The U.S. military has acknowledged losing an RQ-170 in the region. United States
administration asked Iran to return the UAV. Iran denied the request and lodged
a complaint to the UN Security Council over airspace violation by the U.S.
The RQ-170 is a flying wing design containing a single (as yet classified)
engine and is estimated by Aviation Week as having a wingspan of approximately
66 feet (20 m). Its takeoff weight is estimated as being greater than the RQ-3
DarkStar's, which was 8,500 pounds (3,900 kg). The design lacks several elements
common to stealth engineering such as zig-zag edged landing gear doors and sharp
leading edges, and the exhaust is not shielded by the wing. Aviation Week
postulates that these elements suggest the designers have avoided 'highly
sensitive technologies' due to the near certainty of eventual operational loss
inherent with a single engine design and a desire to avoid the risk of
compromising leading edge technology. The publication also suggests that the
medium-grey color implies a mid-altitude ceiling, unlikely to exceed 50,000 feet
(15,000 m) since a higher ceiling would normally be painted darker for best
concealment. The postulated weight and ceiling parameters suggests the possible
use of a General Electric TF34 engine, or a variant, in the airframe.
On the basis of the few publicly available photographs of the RQ-170, aviation
expert Bill Sweetman has assessed that the UAV is equipped with an
electro-optical/infrared sensor and possibly an active electronically scanned
array (AESA) radar mounted in its belly fairing. He has also speculated that the
two undercarriage fairings over the UAV's wings may house datalinks and that the
belly fairing could be designed for modular payloads, allowing the UAV to be
used for strike missions and/or electronic warfare. The New York Times has
reported that the RQ-170 is "almost certainly" equipped with communications
intercept equipment as well as highly sensitive sensors capable of detecting
very small amounts of radioactive isotopes and chemicals which may indicate the
existence of nuclear weapons facilities.
Following Iranian claims of downing an RQ-170 near the Afghan border in December
2011, Iranian TV showed video footage of what appears to be an advanced unmanned
U.S. aircraft that most closely resembles the RQ-170 UAV. In the footage, a
member of the Iranian revolutionary guard released dimensions of the aircraft,
including a wingspan of about 26 metres (85 ft), a height of 1.84 metres (6.0
ft), and a length of 4.5 metres (15 ft).
Role
Unmanned aerial vehicle
Manufacturer
Lockheed Martin
Introduction
2007
Status
In service
Primary user
United States Air Force
Number built
~20
The 30th Reconnaissance Squadron operates RQ-170 Sentinels. This squadron, which
is based at Tonopah Test Range Airport in Nevada, was activated on 1 September
2005. RQ-170 Sentinels have been deployed to Afghanistan, where one was sighted
at Kandahar International Airport in late 2007. This sighting, and the
Sentinel's secret status at the time, led Bill Sweetman to dub it the "Beast of
Kandahar". The UAV being deployed to Afghanistan, despite the Taliban having no
radar, led to speculation that the aircraft was used to spy on Pakistan or Iran:
"Phil Finnegan, a UAV analyst at the Teal Group, an aerospace consulting firm,
suggests the stealth capabilities are being used to fly in nearby countries.
Neighboring Iran has an air force and air defense system that would require
stealth technology to penetrate."
Four months prior to December 2011, there were reports that RQ-170s had been
flying missions over Iran during 2011. On 4 December, media reports stated that
the Iranian Army's electronic warfare unit had downed an RQ-170 that violated
Iranian airspace along its eastern border through overriding its controls, and
had captured the lightly damaged UAV. The United States Department of Defense
released a statement acknowledging that it had lost control of a UAV during the
previous week, claiming that it was "flying a mission over western Afghanistan"
when control was lost. The statement did not specify the model of the aircraft.
The U.S. government also stated that it was still investigating the cause of the
loss. On 6 December, U.S. officials acknowledged that a drone crashed in or near
Iranian airspace and that it belonged to the CIA and not to ISAF as was earlier
stated.
On 12 May 2014, the Iranian government showed on national television an aircraft
that it claimed was reverse engineered from the captured RQ-170. They claimed
their version could be armed to attack U.S. warships. Sources familiar with the
RQ-170's design say that the Iranian RQ-170 is merely a static mockup rather
than a flyable aircraft. In November 2014 Iran claimed to have carried out a
successful test flight of a reverse engineered RQ-170.
It was reported in September 2016 by the semi-official Tasnim news agency of
Iran that a UAV named Saegheh, similar in appearance to the RQ-170 Sentinel, had
been built. It was said to be able to carry four precision-guided bombs; range
was not stated.
Specifications (RQ-170)
General characteristics
Crew: 0
Length: 14 ft 9 in (4.5 m)
Wingspan: 65 ft 7 in (19.99 m)
Height: 6 ft (1.8 m) estimated
Performance
Service ceiling: 50,000 ft (15,000 m) (estimated)
*
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