details about Lockheed RQ-170
Answers
Answer:
The RQ-170 Sentinel is a high altitude and long endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) designed and manufactured by Skunk Works, a division of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the United States Air Force (USAF).
The UAV can capture real time imagery of the battlefield and transfer the data to the ground control station (GCS) through a line of sight (LOS) communication data link.
The vehicle was deployed to Afghanistan for the operation enduring freedom. It is also known as the Beast of Kandahar.
Flying at an altitude of 50,000ft, the RQ-170 can offer its operators with real time intelligence data by executing surveillance and reconnaissance operations over a large area.
The RQ-170 was deployed in Pakistan during the maraud on Osama bin Laden’s compound in May 2011. Live coverage of the raid was broadcasted to the US President Barrack Obama by the vehicle.
Answer:
The Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel is an American unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developed by Lockheed Martin and operated by the United States Air Force 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-170 Sentinel
RQ-170 art impression.jpg
Artist's rendering
Role
Unmanned aerial vehicle
Manufacturer
Lockheed Martin
Introduction
2007
Status
In service
Primary user
United States Air Force
Number built
~20[1]
Development
Edit
The RQ-170 Sentinel was developed by Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works as a stealth unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Journalists have noted design similarities between the RQ-170 and previous stealth and UAV programs such as the RQ-3 DarkStar and Polecat.[2][3] It is a tailless flying wing aircraft, with pods, presumably for sensors or SATCOMs, built into the upper surface of each wing. Few details of the UAV's characteristics have been released, but estimates of its wingspan range from approximately 65 feet (20 m)[4] to 90 feet (27 m).[5] In a December 2012 report, journalist David Axe stated that "20 or so" RQ-170s had been built.[1]
The "RQ" designation indicates that the RQ-170 Sentinel does not carry weapons.[6] Aviation Week's David A. Fulghum believes that the UAV is probably a "tactical, operations-oriented platform and not a strategic intelligence-gathering design".[4]
The USAF confirmed the "grainy photos of a gray, flying-wing-typed unmanned airplane near Kandahar Airfield."[7] Since then, this aircraft has been known as "The Beast of Kandahar" in relation to the discussion of the RQ-170 Sentinel on 4 December 2009.[4][8] A USAF colonel subsequently commented that RQ-170 is separate from the MQ-X program, which has yet to determine stealth or powerplant requirements, and thus the Sentinel will not replace the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper drones.[9] As of May 2011, the U.S. military had not released any statements concerning the Sentinel since December 2009.[10]