Decades after its first flight, the elusive RQ-170 Sentinel, also known as the “Beast of Kandahar,” continues to intrigue aviation and military enthusiasts with its clandestine operations and evolving capabilities.
Initially spotted in 2007, this Lockheed Martin Skunk Works marvel has served the U.S. Air Force over some of the world’s most contested airspaces, from Afghanistan to the borders of Iran.
Regarded as a high-altitude, long-endurance Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), the RQ-170 leverages stealth characteristics, likely including a radar-absorbent coating, to perform intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and potentially electronic warfare missions without detection.
Its exact capabilities remain highly classified, underscoring the strategic advantage that uncertainty and technological ambiguity provide to the United States military.
The RQ-170’s operational history is as intriguing as its design. It reportedly played a key role during Operation Neptune Spear, the 2011 raid that resulted in the death of Osama Bin Laden.
But its operational envelope likely extends far beyond traditional reconnaissance, suggested by reports and rumors of its potential electronic intelligence and warfare capacities.
One of the most dramatic episodes in the Sentinel’s career occurred in 2011 when Iran claimed to have captured the “Beast of Kandahar” intact, parading it on state television. This incident raised questions about the UAV’s vulnerability to sophisticated electronic attacks, despite the U.S. dismissal of Iran’s claims.
Satellite images indicate that the RQ-170 Sentinel features a flying-wing airframe that is smaller in size compared to the MQ-9 Reaper or the RQ-4 Global Hawk, boasting a wingspan of approximately 38 feet (11.6 meters), akin to that of a fighter jet.
Similar to the Reaper, its design allows for disassembly and deployment overseas within transport crates, which can be transported via cargo aircraft such as the C-17.
This notion finds support in documents pertaining to the deployment to Kunsan, disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), which make reference to the airlifting of the airframes for their deployment.
Little is disclosed regarding its performance capabilities, with only speculations circulating about its purported speed of 500 knots and maximum altitude of 50,000 feet.
There are also unverified claims suggesting that the Sentinel might be powered by the same TF-34 engine found in the A-10 Thunderbolt II or a comparable General Electric engine of similar size.
The precise size of the RQ-170 fleet remains undisclosed, but it is approximated that around 20-30 aircraft were constructed by the Skunk Works facility at Plant 42.
According to a 2010 memorandum from the leadership of the 432nd Wing, personnel at the base were instructed not to disclose any information regarding the RQ-170s and their capabilities or capture any images of the drones.
Interestingly, these flying wing unmanned aircraft were internally referred to by the nickname “Wraith,” rather than their official designation, Sentinel. It’s worth noting that “Wraith” was also the nickname given to the all-black crowd-sourced livery for an Aggressor F-16 in 2019.
Relevant articles:
– RQ-170: The Air Force’s Secret “Beast of Kandahar”, SOFREP
– Let’s Talk About The Secretive RQ-170 Sentinel Photographed In Flight Over California Desert Recently, The Aviationist
– 170 Sentinel Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, Airforce Technology
– Notoriously Shy RQ-170 Spy Drone Lands At Its Skunk Works Birthplace, The War Zone