Lockheed / Martin
RQ-170 Sentinel "Wraith"

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General Info

Lockheed
RQ-170 Sentinel, nicknamed Wraith


Artist's rendering
Role	Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)
Manufacturer	Lockheed Martin
Introduction	2007
Status	In service
Primary user	United States Air Force
Number built	20 to 30
Developed into	Shahed 171 Shahed Saegheh

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History Lockheed
Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel, nicknamed Wraith

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 Lockheed Martin RQ-3 DarkStar and Polecat. An Air Force official said, "It's the same concept as [the RQ-3] DarkStar, it's stealthy, and it uses the same apertures and data links, only it's bigger."It is a tailless flying wing aircraft with pods built into the upper surface of each wing.[5][6] According to the United States Army Training Circular 3-01.80, the Sentinel has a wingspan of 65 feet 7 inches (20 m), and is 14 feet 9 inches (4.50 m) long. In a December 2012 report, journalist David Axe stated that "20 or so" RQ-170s had been built

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.^[15] The New York Times has reported that the RQ-170 is "almost certainly" equipped with communications intercept equipment, as well as highly sensitive hyperspectral sensors capable of detecting very small amounts of radioactive isotopes and chemicals that may indicate the existence of nuclear weapons facilities.

Design

The design that gives the U-2 its remarkable performance also makes it a difficult aircraft to fly. Martin Knutson said The Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel, nicknamed Wraith] is an American 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. Introduced in 2007, it was deployed to Afghanistan in late 2007, and to South Korea two years later, in September 2009. Some images and details of the aircraft were released after Iran captured an RQ-170 in 2011. It has a flying wing design, and uses a single engine, speculated to be either a General Electric TF34 turbofan or a Garrett TFE731.

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Ceiling

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MAX RANGE

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Mach

Aircraft Speed

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Max Crew

Gallery

Photo Gallery
Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel, nicknamed Wraith

Lockheed/Martin Stealth Aircraft

Lockheed/Martin Aircraft
Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel, nicknamed Wraith

General Info

Crew: 3 on ground

Length: 14 ft 9 in (4.5 m)

Wingspan: 38 ft 7 in (11.58 m)

Height: 6 ft (1.8 m) estimated

Powerplant: 1 × Garrett TFE731 or General Electric TF34 turbofan

Specifications

Endurance: 5 to 6 hours

Service ceiling: 50,000 ft (15,000 m) estimated

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Special Links Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel

Links to Youtube & Others

On 1 November 2013, media outlets reported that Skunk Works has been working on an unmanned reconnaissance airplane it has named SR-72, which would fly twice as fast as the SR-71, at Mach 6. However, the USAF is officially pursuing the Northrop Grumman RQ-180 UAV to assume the SR-71's strategic ISR role