66-758: 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
132-465: A balloon carrier (the precursor to the aircraft carrier ) in the first offensive use of air power in naval aviation . Austrian forces besieging Venice attempted to launch some 200 incendiary balloons at the besieged city. The balloons were launched mainly from land; however, some were also launched from the Austrian ship SMS Vulcano . At least one bomb fell in the city; however, due to
198-783: A drone , is an aircraft with no human pilot , crew, or passengers on board. UAVs were originally developed through the twentieth century for military missions too "dull, dirty or dangerous" for humans, and by the twenty-first, they had become essential assets to most militaries. As control technologies improved and costs fell, their use expanded to many non-military applications. These include aerial photography , area coverage, precision agriculture , forest fire monitoring, river monitoring, environmental monitoring , policing and surveillance, infrastructure inspections, smuggling, product deliveries , entertainment, and drone racing . Many terms are used for aircraft which fly without any persons on board. The term drone has been used from
264-618: 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
330-490: A "powered, aerial vehicle that does not carry a human operator, uses aerodynamic forces to provide vehicle lift, can fly autonomously or be piloted remotely, can be expendable or recoverable, and can carry a lethal or nonlethal payload". UAV is a term that is commonly applied to military use cases. Missiles with warheads are generally not considered UAVs because the vehicle itself is a munition, but certain types of propeller-based missile are often called " kamikaze drones " by
396-518: A $ 1.4 million Large Force Test Event at Nellis Air Force Base , in Nevada. It is believed that between 20 and 30 RQ-170s were in service with the USAF as of 2021. At this time, the type continued to be operated by the 30th and 44th Reconnaissance Squadrons. The USAF disclosed a deployment of RQ-170s in March 2021, but did not identify where they had operated. On 4 December 2011, media reports stated that
462-441: A camera) that weigh considerably less than an adult human, and as a result, can be considerably smaller. Though they carry heavy payloads, weaponized military UAVs are lighter than their crewed counterparts with comparable armaments. Small civilian UAVs have no life-critical systems , and can thus be built out of lighter but less sturdy materials and shapes, and can use less robustly tested electronic control systems. For small UAVs,
528-601: A component of an unmanned aircraft system ( UAS ), which also includes a ground-based controller and a system of communications with the aircraft. The term UAS was adopted by the United States Department of Defense (DoD) and the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 2005 according to their Unmanned Aircraft System Roadmap 2005–2030. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and
594-478: A height of 1.84 metres (6.0 ft), and a length of 4.5 metres (15 ft). The 30th Reconnaissance Squadron was the first unit to operate RQ-170 Sentinels. Based at Tonopah Test Range Airport in Nevada, this squadron was activated on 1 September 2005. RQ-170 Sentinels have been deployed to Afghanistan, where one was sighted at Kandahar Airfield in late 2007. This sighting, and the Sentinel's secret status at
660-516: A higher ceiling would normally be painted darker for 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
726-410: A host of advanced technologies that allow them to carry out their missions without human intervention, such as cloud computing, computer vision, artificial intelligence, machine learning, deep learning, and thermal sensors. For recreational uses, an aerial photography drone is an aircraft that has first-person video, autonomous capabilities, or both. An unmanned aerial vehicle ( UAV ) is defined as
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#1732779733803792-413: A human operator, as remotely piloted aircraft ( RPA ), or with various degrees of autonomy , such as autopilot assistance, up to fully autonomous aircraft that have no provision for human intervention. Based on the altitude, the following UAV classifications have been used at industry events such as ParcAberporth Unmanned Systems forum: An example of classification based on the composite criteria
858-785: A human target in Libya , according to a report from the UN Security Council 's Panel of Experts on Libya, published in March 2021. This may have been the first time an autonomous killer-robot armed with lethal weaponry attacked human beings. Superior drone technology, specifically the Turkish Bayraktar TB2 , played a role in Azerbaijan's successes in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war against Armenia. UAVs are also used in NASA missions. The Ingenuity helicopter
924-436: A parallel increase in the use of drones for consumer and general aviation activities. As of 2021, quadcopter drones exemplify the widespread popularity of hobby radio-controlled aircraft and toys, however the use of UAVs in commercial and general aviation is limited by a lack of autonomy and by new regulatory environments which require line-of-sight contact with the pilot. In 2020, a Kargu 2 drone hunted down and attacked
990-474: A spy plane". In October 2012 a RQ-170 was used to conduct bomb damage assessment for a test drop of a Massive Ordnance Penetrator bomb from a Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit stealth bomber. The 44th Reconnaissance Squadron was established on 1 April 2015. While the USAF did not disclose what aircraft the unit was equipped with, it has been reported that it was established to operate RQ-170s. From 4 August 2020 to 6 August 2020, at least one RQ-170 participated in
1056-415: A variable payload are more likely to feature a distinct fuselage with a tail for stability, control and trim, although the wing configurations in use vary widely. For uses that require vertical flight or hovering, the tailless quadcopter requires a relatively simple control system and is common for smaller UAVs. Multirotor designs with 6 or more rotors is more common with larger UAVs, where redundancy
1122-470: Is U.S. Military's unmanned aerial systems (UAS) classification of UAVs based on weight, maximum altitude and speed of the UAV component. UAVs can be classified based on their power or energy source, which significantly impacts their flight duration, range, and environmental impact. The main categories include: The earliest recorded use of an unmanned aerial vehicle for warfighting occurred in July 1849, with
1188-489: Is a flying wing design containing a single (as yet classified) engine, and was estimated in 2009 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 zigzag edged landing gear doors and sharp leading edges, and
1254-551: Is also less of a critical requirement for unmanned aircraft, allowing the designer greater freedom to experiment. Instead, UAVs are typically designed around their onboard payloads and their ground equipment. These factors have led to a great variety of airframe and motor configurations in UAVs. For conventional flight the flying wing and blended wing body offer light weight combined with low drag and stealth , and are popular configurations for many use cases. Larger types which carry
1320-473: Is an autonomous UAV that operated on Mars from 2021 to 2024. Current the Dragonfly spacecraft is being developed, and is aiming to reach and examine Saturn 's moon Titan . Its primary goal is to roam around the surface, expanding the amount of area to be researched previously seen by landers . As a UAV, Dragonfly allows examination of potentially diverse types of soil. The drone is set to launch in 2027, and
1386-463: Is estimated to take seven more years to reach the Saturnian system. Miniaturization is also supporting the development of small UAVs which can be used as individual system or in a fleet offering the possibility to survey large areas, in a relatively small amount of time. According to data from GlobalData , the global military uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) market, which forms a significant part of
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#17327797338031452-490: Is prioritized. Traditional internal combustion and jet engines remain in use for drones requiring long range. However, for shorter-range missions electric power has almost entirely taken over. The distance record for a UAV (built from balsa wood and mylar skin) across the North Atlantic Ocean is held by a gasoline model airplane or UAV. Manard Hill "in 2003 when one of his creations flew 1,882 miles across
1518-538: Is separate from the MQ-X program, which has yet to determine stealth or powerplant requirements, and thus the Sentinel will not replace the General Atomics MQ-1 Predator and General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper drones. In 2021, the 432nd Air Expeditionary Wing made a statement in which they said that "the 432nd AEW has ... successfully deployed and redeployed RQ-170 Sentinel forces." The RQ-170
1584-450: The 1991 Gulf War . UAVs demonstrated the possibility of cheaper, more capable fighting-machines, deployable without risk to aircrews. Initial generations primarily involved surveillance aircraft , but some carried armaments , such as the General Atomics MQ-1 Predator , that launched AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-ground missiles . CAPECON , a European Union project to develop UAVs, ran from 1 May 2002 to 31 December 2005. As of 2012 ,
1650-891: The Argus As 292 and the V-1 flying bomb with a jet engine . Fascist Italy developed a specialised drone version of the Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 flown by remote control, although the Armistice with Italy was enacted prior to any operational deployment. After World War II development continued in vehicles such as the American JB-4 (using television/radio-command guidance), the Australian GAF Jindivik and Teledyne Ryan Firebee I of 1951, while companies like Beechcraft offered their Model 1001 for
1716-725: The British Civil Aviation Authority adopted this term, also used in the European Union's Single European Sky (SES) Air Traffic Management (ATM) Research (SESAR Joint Undertaking) roadmap for 2020. This term emphasizes the importance of elements other than the aircraft. It includes elements such as ground control stations, data links and other support equipment. Similar terms are unmanned aircraft vehicle system ( UAVS ) and remotely piloted aircraft system ( RPAS ). Many similar terms are in use. Under new regulations which came into effect 1 June 2019,
1782-564: The U.S. Navy in 1955. Nevertheless, they were little more than remote-controlled airplanes until the Vietnam War . In 1959, the U.S. Air Force , concerned about losing pilots over hostile territory, began planning for the use of uncrewed aircraft. Planning intensified after the Soviet Union shot down a U-2 in 1960. Within days, a highly classified UAV program started under the code name of "Red Wagon". The August 1964 clash in
1848-510: The United States Air Force (USAF) employed 7,494 UAVs – almost one in three USAF aircraft. The Central Intelligence Agency also operated UAVs . By 2013 at least 50 countries used UAVs. China, Iran, Israel, Pakistan, Turkey, and others designed and built their own varieties. The use of drones has continued to increase. Due to their wide proliferation, no comprehensive list of UAV systems exists. The development of smart technologies and improved electrical-power systems led to
1914-503: The United States Department of Defense , UAVs are classified into five categories below: Other classifications of UAVs include: There are usually five categories when UAVs are classified by range and endurance: There are usually four categories when UAVs are classified by size, with at least one of the dimensions (length or wingspan) meet the following respective limits: Based on their weight, drones can be classified into 5 categories— . Drones could also be classified based on
1980-456: The hydrogen fuel cell . The energy density of modern Li-Po batteries is far less than gasoline or hydrogen. However electric motors are cheaper, lighter and quieter. Complex multi-engine, multi-propeller installations are under development with the goal of improving aerodynamic and propulsive efficiency. For such complex power installations, battery elimination circuitry (BEC) may be used to centralize power distribution and minimize heating, under
2046-401: The quadcopter design has become popular, though this layout is rarely used for crewed aircraft. Miniaturization means that less-powerful propulsion technologies can be used that are not feasible for crewed aircraft, such as small electric motors and batteries. Control systems for UAVs are often different from crewed craft. For remote human control, a camera and video link almost always replace
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2112-459: The 1900s, and originally focused on providing practice targets for training military personnel . The earliest attempt at a powered UAV was A. M. Low 's "Aerial Target" in 1916. Low confirmed that Geoffrey de Havilland's monoplane was the one that flew under control on 21 March 1917 using his radio system. Following this successful demonstration in the spring of 1917 Low was transferred to develop aircraft controlled fast motor launches D.C.B.s with
2178-608: The 1973 Yom Kippur war, a few key people from the team that developed this early UAV joined a small startup company that aimed to develop UAVs into a commercial product, eventually purchased by Tadiran and leading to the development of the first Israeli UAV. In 1973, the U.S. military officially confirmed that they had been using UAVs in Southeast Asia (Vietnam). Over 5,000 U.S. airmen had been killed and over 1,000 more were missing or captured . The USAF 100th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing flew about 3,435 UAV missions during
2244-638: The 1980s and 1990s, interest in UAVs grew within the higher echelons of the U.S. military. The U.S. funded the Counterterrorism Center (CTC) within the CIA, which sought to fight terrorism with the aid of modernized drone technology. In the 1990s, the U.S. DoD gave a contract to AAI Corporation along with Israeli company Malat. The U.S. Navy bought the AAI Pioneer UAV that AAI and Malat developed jointly. Many of these UAVs saw service in
2310-551: The Atlantic Ocean on less than a gallon of fuel" holds this record. Besides the traditional piston engine, the Wankel rotary engine is used by some drones. This type offers high power output for lower weight, with quieter and more vibration-free running. Claims have also been made for improved reliability and greater range. Small drones mostly use lithium-polymer batteries (Li-Po), while some larger vehicles have adopted
2376-615: 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. 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 the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) as was earlier stated by
2442-601: The Middle East, Israeli intelligence tested the first tactical UAVs installed with reconnaissance cameras, which successfully returned photos from across the Suez Canal. This was the first time that tactical UAVs that could be launched and landed on any short runway (unlike the heavier jet-based UAVs) were developed and tested in battle. In the 1973 Yom Kippur War , Israel used UAVs as decoys to spur opposing forces into wasting expensive anti-aircraft missiles. After
2508-517: The RQ-170 Sentinel had been test-flown in South Korea for the past few months and that it was expected to be permanently deployed in 2010 to replace Lockheed U-2 reconnaissance aircraft operating from Osan Air Base . In response to this report, Sweetman argued that the Sentinel's deployments to Afghanistan and South Korea were probably undertaken to monitor Pakistan and North Korea's ballistic missile programs. In 2020, through an FOIA request , it
2574-550: The Royal Navy in 1918 intended to attack shipping and port installations and he also assisted Wing Commander Brock in preparations for the Zeebrugge Raid . Other British unmanned developments followed, leading to the fleet of over 400 de Havilland 82 Queen Bee aerial targets that went into service in 1935. Nikola Tesla described a fleet of uncrewed aerial combat vehicles in 1915. These developments also inspired
2640-476: The Syrian air defenses at the start of the 1982 Lebanon War , resulting in no pilots downed. In Israel in 1987, UAVs were first used as proof-of-concept of super-agility, post-stall controlled flight in combat-flight simulations that involved tailless, stealth-technology-based, three-dimensional thrust vectoring flight-control, and jet-steering. With the maturing and miniaturization of applicable technologies in
2706-659: The Tonkin Gulf between naval units of the U.S. and the North Vietnamese Navy initiated America's highly classified UAVs ( Ryan Model 147 , Ryan AQM-91 Firefly , Lockheed D-21 ) into their first combat missions of the Vietnam War . When the Chinese government showed photographs of downed U.S. UAVs via Wide World Photos , the official U.S. response was "no comment". During the War of Attrition (1967–1970) in
Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel - Misplaced Pages Continue
2772-456: The UAV industry, is projected to experience a compound annual growth rate of 4.8% over the next decade. This represents a near doubling in market size, from $ 12.5 billion in 2024 to an estimated $ 20 billion by 2034. Crewed and uncrewed aircraft of the same type generally have recognizably similar physical components. The main exceptions are the cockpit and environmental control system or life support systems . Some UAVs carry payloads (such as
2838-416: The UAV is probably a "tactical, operations-oriented platform and not a strategic intelligence-gathering design". The USAF confirmed the "grainy photos of a gray, flying-wing-typed unmanned airplane near Kandahar Airfield ." Since then, this aircraft has been known as "The Beast of Kandahar" in relation to the sighting of the RQ-170 Sentinel on 4 December 2009. A USAF colonel subsequently commented that RQ-170
2904-406: The UAV's design was indeed largely based on the RQ-170, while IAF Brigadier General Tomer Bar said that the drone was quite advanced and emulated western technology. Data from The Drive, Army Training Circular 3-01.80 General characteristics Performance Unmanned aerial vehicle An unmanned aerial vehicle ( UAV ), or unmanned aircraft system ( UAS ), commonly known as
2970-587: The US government. The Iranian government released footage of a captured RQ-170 on 8 December. After examining the video that same day, U.S. officials confirmed that the drone was genuine. In April 2012, General Amir Ali Hajizadeh , the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps aerospace division, claimed that Iran had reverse-engineered the RQ-170, and was building a copy of the UAV. He also stated that data were being recovered from
3036-503: The advances of computing technology, beginning with analog controls and evolving into microcontrollers, then system-on-a-chip (SOC) and single-board computers (SBC). Modern system hardware for UAV control is often called the flight controller (FC), flight controller board (FCB) or autopilot. Common UAV-systems control hardware typically incorporate a primary microprocessor, a secondary or failsafe processor, and sensors such as accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers, and barometers into
3102-520: The attack which was watched live by President Barack Obama and his senior national security advisors. The RQ-170 also monitored Pakistani military radio transmissions in the area to provide warning of the response to the attack. On 27 May the Los Angeles Times reported that Pakistani officials were "alarmed" by the use of the RQ-170 over their country as the drones are "designed to evade radar and other surveillance systems, and can be used as
3168-577: The captured RQ-170. The semi-official Tasnim news agency of Iran reported in September 2016 that a UAV named Saegheh-2 , similar in appearance to the RQ-170 Sentinel, had been built. It was said to be able to carry four precision-guided bombs ; the range was not stated. The Shahed 171 Simorgh is also based on the downed Sentinel. The Israeli military shot down a Saegheh drone during the February 2018 Israel–Syria incident . Israeli media reported that
3234-484: The cockpit windows; radio-transmitted digital commands replace physical cockpit controls. Autopilot software is used on both crewed and uncrewed aircraft, with varying feature sets. UAVs can be designed in different configurations than manned aircraft both because there is no need for a cockpit and its windows, and there is no need to optimize for human comfort, although some UAVs are adapted from piloted examples, or are designed for optionally piloted modes. Air safety
3300-697: The construction of the Kettering Bug by Charles Kettering from Dayton, Ohio and the Hewitt-Sperry Automatic Airplane – initially meant as an uncrewed plane that would carry an explosive payload to a predetermined target. Development continued during World War I, when the Dayton-Wright Airplane Company invented a pilotless aerial torpedo that would explode at a preset time. The film star and model-airplane enthusiast Reginald Denny developed
3366-409: The control of a microcontroller unit (MCU). Flapping-wing ornithopters , imitating birds or insects, have been flown as microUAVs . Their inherent stealth recommends them for spy missions. Sub-1g microUAVs inspired by flies, albeit using a power tether, have been able to "land" on vertical surfaces. Other projects mimic the flight of beetles and other insects. UAV computing capability followed
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#17327797338033432-511: The degree of autonomy in their flight operations. ICAO classifies unmanned aircraft as either remotely piloted aircraft or fully autonomous. Some UAVs offer intermediate degrees of autonomy. For example, a vehicle may be remotely piloted in most contexts but have an autonomous return-to-base operation. Some aircraft types may optionally fly manned or as UAVs, which may include manned aircraft transformed into manned or Optionally Piloted UAVs (OPVs). The flight of UAVs may operate under remote control by
3498-554: The early days of aviation , some being applied to remotely flown target aircraft used for practice firing of a battleship's guns, such as the 1920s Fairey Queen and 1930s de Havilland Queen Bee . Later examples included the Airspeed Queen Wasp and Miles Queen Martinet , before ultimate replacement by the GAF Jindivik . The term remains in common use. In addition to the software, autonomous drones also employ
3564-461: 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
3630-669: 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),
3696-477: The first scaled remote piloted vehicle in 1935. Soviet researchers experimented with controlling Tupolev TB-1 bombers remotely in the late 1930s. In 1940, Denny started the Radioplane Company and more models emerged during World War II – used both to train antiaircraft gunners and to fly attack-missions. Nazi Germany produced and used various UAV aircraft during the war, like
3762-539: The loss rate is high, but we are willing to risk more of them ...they save lives!" During the 1973 Yom Kippur War , Soviet-supplied surface-to-air missile -batteries in Egypt and Syria caused heavy damage to Israeli fighter jets . As a result, Israel developed the IAI Scout as the first UAV with real-time surveillance. The images and radar decoys provided by these UAVs helped Israel to completely neutralize
3828-460: The public and media. Also, the relation of UAVs to remote controlled model aircraft is unclear, UAVs may or may not include remote-controlled model aircraft. Some jurisdictions base their definition on size or weight; however, the US FAA defines any unmanned flying craft as a UAV regardless of size. A similar term is remotely piloted aerial vehicle ( RPAV ). UAVs or RPAVs can also be seen as
3894-538: The term RPAS has been adopted by the Canadian Government to mean "a set of configurable elements consisting of a remotely piloted aircraft, its control station, the command and control links and any other system elements required during flight operation". UAVs may be classified like any other aircraft , according to design configuration such as weight or engine type, maximum flight altitude, degree of operational autonomy, operational role, etc. According to
3960-580: The time, led 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 an aerospace consulting firm, suggests the stealth capabilities of the Sentinel are being used to fly in nearby countries. Iran has an air defense system that would require stealth technology to penetrate. In December 2009, South Korea 's JoongAng Daily newspaper reported that
4026-487: 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 hyperspectral sensors capable of detecting very small amounts of radioactive isotopes and chemicals that may indicate
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#17327797338034092-611: The upper surface of each wing. 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. The "RQ" designation (R for reconnaissance, Q for unmanned) indicates that the RQ-170 Sentinel does not carry weapons. Aviation Week & Space Technology ' s David A. Fulghum believes that
4158-454: The war at a cost of about 554 UAVs lost to all causes. In the words of USAF General George S. Brown , Commander, Air Force Systems Command , in 1972, "The only reason we need (UAVs) is that we don't want to needlessly expend the man in the cockpit." Later that year, General John C. Meyer , Commander in Chief, Strategic Air Command , stated, "we let the drone do the high-risk flying ...
4224-534: The wind changing after launch, most of the balloons missed their target, and some drifted back over Austrian lines and the launching ship Vulcano . The Spanish engineer Leonardo Torres Quevedo introduced a radio-based control-system called the Telekino at the Paris Academy of Science in 1903, as a way of testing airships without risking human life. Significant development of drones started in
4290-408: 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 . The RQ-170 Sentinel was developed by Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works as
4356-567: Was revealed that the USAF ordered the deployment of the drone to Kunsan Air Base on 4 September 2009. It is unknown exactly how many RQ-170s were deployed. On 2 May 2011, at least one RQ-170 monitored the area while elements of the United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group launched an assault on the compound which resulted in bin Laden's death. The aircraft provided footage of
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