Since 2005, the RQ-170 Sentinel has flown under the auspices of the United States Air Force, as a stealthy reconnaissance drone.
Though built by Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works, it can hardly be described as well understood, though its participation in several high-profile missions is known, including the operation in 2011 that led to the death of Osama Bin Laden.
This mysterious and speculative thing among military analysts and aviation followers often appears under the codename “Beast of Kandahar.”.
The first time the RQ-170 Sentinel was made public was in 2009 when it was reportedly seen over Kandahar, Afghanistan. The Sentry featured radar-absorbent coating. It possesses stealth, making it possible to use in contested air.
Apparently, its primary missions include streaming video to commanders, overwatch to ground troops, and maybe even communications relay. The presence of a drone in the airspace over Osama Bin Laden’s compound during Operation Neptune Spear further strengthens this strategic relevance.
The problem is that nobody knows exactly what the RQ-170 can do. Although it seems to be an outwardly visible use of a reconnaissance drone, really, what would it do over Afghanistan, where the Taliban does not have advanced radar systems? It is theoretically argued by some that the drone could be fitted with electronic warfare systems, but again, this theory is rubbished by others because the Taliban does not have such advanced technologies anyway.
In 2011, Iran reported that it had shot down an RQ-170 Sentinel as it flew over its lands. State television in Iran published images of the drone that appeared to be mostly complete.
According to IRGC records, they had penetrated the systems of the drone and brought it down, which was flatly denied by U.S. Defense officials, but the main condition of the drone remains relatively intact, which gives some weight to the assertions by Iran.
Former US Navy electronics warfare officer Densmore illuminated that maybe the drone had been caused to land autonomously on its own by disrupting its communication links.
There have also been images of reported RQ-170 Sentinels at a variety of other locations, such as Guam and the California desert near Edwards AFB. Most of these were pictures of the UAV in different paint schemes and test configurations, which showed continuing development of that which is being tested.
This UAV has a flying-wing airframe, which is relatively smaller compared to the MQ-9 Reaper or RQ-4 Global Hawk; therefore, it can be quickly disassembled and transported for deployment.
It is said that electro-optical sensors and an AESA-based synthetic aperture radar will make up the Sentinel’s sensors to fulfill its reconnaissance and surveillance mission. The UAV was also used in targeting and bomb damage assessment for the B-2 Spirit bomber.
The latest reports are that the RQ-170 can engage in electronic warfare and that it can be weaponized; this, however, remains unconfirmed.
The U.S. Air Force has confirmed the RQ-170’s presence in the inventory, in operational units with the 30th and 44th Reconnaissance Squadrons, whose task mission scope ranges from intelligence collection to electronic attack tactics.
“Stealth makes it ideal for contested and non-contested environments,” said Col. Stephen Jones of the 432nd Wing/432nd Air Expeditionary Wing.
For all of its mystery, the RQ-170 Sentinel is one of the key platforms for modern warfare: It is the stealth, reconnaissance, and possibly electronic warfare capabilities that are required.