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RQ-170 Sentinel

Lockheed Martin · Fixed Wing / Stealth ISR · USA · Modern (1992–2009)

RQ-170 Sentinel — Fixed Wing / Stealth ISR
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The Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel is an American single-engine, single-jet, low-observable unmanned aerial vehicle developed by Lockheed Martin Skunk Works for the U.S. Air Force and Central Intelligence Agency. As the first publicly-acknowledged stealth UAV in U.S. military service, the Sentinel has flown high-value intelligence-collection missions over politically-sensitive denied airspace since 2007. Airframe count, design specifications, and mission details remain classified, though an estimated 25-30 airframes are in service. Operating unit is the U.S. Air Force 30th Reconnaissance Squadron at Tonopah Test Range Airport, Nevada, with reported forward deployments to Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, and Korea Air Base, South Korea.

First photographed publicly in December 2007 at Kandahar Airfield, where reports tied it to operations against Taliban / Al-Qaeda targets, the RQ-170 is a flying-wing design with no vertical control surfaces — a small unmanned analogue of the much-larger B-2 Spirit. Stealth features include the flying-wing planform optimised for radar-cross-section reduction, a blended fuselage / wing configuration, internal weapons and sensor bays with no external stores, and edge-aligned low-observable detailing. Power is believed to come from a single General Electric TF34 turbofan, sharing the engine family used on the A-10 Thunderbolt II. Wingspan is given as ~66 ft and cruise altitude near 50,000 ft.

Confirmed use includes the 1 May 2011 Operation Neptune Spear — the U.S. raid in Abbottabad, Pakistan that killed Osama bin Laden — during which RQ-170 Sentinels are believed to have provided overhead ISR coverage, feeding real-time imagery to U.S. ground forces and national-command authorities. Other reported missions cover surveillance of Iranian nuclear facilities at Bushehr, Natanz, and Parchin, surveillance of North Korean missile facilities, and counter-terrorism operations. The most-public RQ-170 incident came on 5 December 2011, when Iranian forces captured an intact airframe; Iran claimed it had spoofed the aircraft's GPS to force a landing at an Iranian airfield. The captured Sentinel is on public display at the Holy Defence Museum, Tehran, and Iran subsequently produced a near-replica designated Saegheh by reverse-engineering the airframe.

A successor designated RQ-180 has, by press accounts, been in classified U.S. Air Force service since 2014, though the USAF has not publicly confirmed the programme. Press estimates put RQ-180 wingspan at 130 ft against the RQ-170's 66 ft, with longer range and more sophisticated sensors, though specific details remain classified. As of 2026, the RQ-170 remains in classified U.S. service alongside the unconfirmed RQ-180.

For Kids — a shorter, friendlier version

The Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel is an American stealth drone. The American Air Force and the CIA use it for secret spying missions. The RQ-170 is shaped like a flying wing, with no separate tail. It looks like a small version of the B-2 stealth bomber.

Most details about the RQ-170 are secret. The wingspan is about 66 feet, longer than a school bus. One General Electric TF34 jet engine powers the drone, the same engine used on the American A-10 Warthog. Top speed and weapons load are still secret. About 25 to 30 RQ-170s are thought to be in service.

People first saw the RQ-170 in late 2007, photographed at Kandahar airfield in Afghanistan. Nicknamed the Beast of Kandahar, the drone has flown some famous missions. On May 1, 2011, RQ-170s flew over Pakistan to scout the raid that found Osama bin Laden. They sent live video to American leaders watching from Washington.

In December 2011, Iran captured an RQ-170 nearly intact. Iran said it tricked the drone's GPS into landing at an Iranian airfield. The captured drone is on display in a Tehran museum. Iran later built a copy called Saegheh, using parts of the RQ-170 design. The American RQ-170 keeps flying secret missions today.

Fun Facts

  • The RQ-170 is shaped like a flying wing, like a small B-2 bomber.
  • The RQ-170 has a 66-foot wingspan, longer than a school bus.
  • The RQ-170 helped American forces find Osama bin Laden in 2011.
  • Most details about the RQ-170 are still secret.
  • Iran captured an RQ-170 in December 2011.
  • The drone uses the same engine family as the American A-10 Warthog.
  • The nickname is the Beast of Kandahar.

Kids’ Questions

Why is it so secret?

The RQ-170 is built by Lockheed's Skunk Works, famous for secret projects. Its job is spying on countries where America cannot use other aircraft, like Iran and North Korea. If enemies knew how the RQ-170 works, they could build defenses to catch it. So the Air Force keeps most details locked away, even the drone's true name.

Why a flying wing?

A flying wing has no separate tail, just one big wing with the body inside. This shape is very stealthy because there are few flat surfaces to bounce radar back. The B-2 stealth bomber uses the same shape. The trade-off is that flying wings are tricky to control without a tail, needing computers to handle the flight.

What happened in Iran?

On December 5, 2011, an RQ-170 came down in Iran in one piece. Iran said its forces tricked the drone's GPS into landing at an Iranian airfield. The American military gave a different explanation, saying the drone had a problem. Iran put the drone on display in a museum and built a copy called Saegheh.

Variants

RQ-170 (initial)
Initial production variant, service entry 2007. Built by Lockheed Martin Skunk Works with an estimated 25-30 airframes produced. Sensor and weapons configuration classified.
Iran-captured RQ-170 (2011)
Specific airframe captured by Iranian forces on 5 December 2011, reportedly downed by Iranian electronic-warfare techniques. On public display at Holy Defence Museum, Tehran. Iran reverse-engineered this airframe into the near-replica Saegheh.
Iranian Saegheh (RQ-170 reverse-engineered)
Iranian reverse-engineered copy produced by Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company (HESA) following the 2011 capture. Roughly 10-15 airframes built. Iran has shown the Saegheh in propaganda photos but field use is limited.
RQ-180 (classified successor)
Classified U.S. Air Force successor stealth UAV. Reportedly larger than the RQ-170 (130-ft wingspan estimate vs 66 ft), with longer mission range and more sophisticated sensors. In service since 2014. Reported operator: U.S. Air Force 24th Operations Squadron / Det 5.
Future stealth UAV programmes
Related U.S. Air Force / U.S. Navy stealth UAV programmes including the X-47B (Navy demonstrator, retired), MQ-25 Stingray (Navy refuelling UAV), and B-21 Raider (USAF long-range bomber with potential UAV configurations).

Notable Operators

United States Air Force
Primary operator via the 30th Reconnaissance Squadron at Tonopah Test Range Airport, Nevada. An estimated 25-30 RQ-170 airframes are in service; deployment and mission details classified.
Central Intelligence Agency
Joint USAF / CIA operations. The CIA reportedly operates several RQ-170 airframes for high-priority intelligence-collection missions, often coordinated with the U.S. State Department and National Security Council for politically-sensitive operations.
Iran (captured / reverse-engineered)
Iran captured one RQ-170 airframe on 5 December 2011 and reverse-engineered it into the indigenous Saegheh / Saeqeh-2. An estimated 10-15 Saegheh airframes have been produced; service status uncertain.
Civilian / preservation
No civilian use. The 2011 captured RQ-170 is on display at the Holy Defence Museum, Tehran. The U.S. has not preserved any RQ-170 airframes in publicly-accessible museums; surviving airframes remain in classified-museum or test-range storage.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the 2011 Iran RQ-170 capture incident?

On 5 December 2011, Iran announced it had captured an intact U.S. RQ-170 Sentinel in eastern Iran. Iranian officials claimed the aircraft was downed using GPS-spoofing tactics that fooled it into landing at an Iranian airfield. Photos and video released afterward showed the captured Sentinel displayed publicly. The U.S. Department of Defense initially denied any loss, then acknowledged it, then attributed the loss to mechanical failure. Iran reportedly reverse-engineered the airframe into the near-replica Saegheh / Saeqeh-2. The captured RQ-170 is on public display at the Holy Defence Museum, Tehran. The incident raised serious U.S. concerns about UAV vulnerability to electronic-warfare countermeasures.

What was the RQ-170's role in the bin Laden raid?

The 1 May 2011 Operation Neptune Spear raid that killed Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan reportedly used RQ-170 Sentinels for ISR support. They provided overhead coverage during the raid, feeding real-time imagery to U.S. ground forces and national-command authorities. The Sentinel's stealth allowed continuous surveillance of the Abbottabad compound without alerting Pakistani air-defence systems. The U.S. Department of Defense has not publicly confirmed RQ-170 involvement; the role was disclosed through subsequent journalism, including Mark Bowden's 2012 book The Finish.

What does the RQ-170 look like?

It is a flying-wing design similar to the much-larger B-2 Spirit, with no vertical control surfaces and no rudder. Pitch and roll control come from elevons, and the airframe uses a blended fuselage / wing configuration. Wingspan is roughly 66 ft. Internal weapons and sensor bays carry the payload — there are no external stores — preserving the radar cross-section. Stealth detailing includes radar-absorbent material panels, edge-aligned control surfaces and leading edges, and serpentine engine inlets. The Sentinel is much smaller than the B-2 Spirit but follows the same stealth-design principles.

How does the RQ-170 compare to the RQ-4 Global Hawk?

Different design priorities. The RQ-4 Global Hawk is a non-stealth high-altitude long-endurance ISR UAV with a ~60,000 ft service ceiling and ~32-hour endurance. The RQ-170 is a low-observable platform built for denied-airspace ISR in politically-sensitive zones, with a ~50,000 ft service ceiling and an estimated 10-12-hour endurance. Per-airframe acquisition cost: RQ-4 ~$130M-220M; RQ-170 reportedly $30-50M. The RQ-4 handles routine wide-area ISR; the RQ-170 is reserved for high-value-target collection in denied airspace where stealth is essential.

What is the RQ-180?

A classified U.S. Air Force successor stealth UAV. The RQ-180 has been reported in journalism and industry publications since 2013, with frontline service beginning around 2014. It is reportedly much larger than the RQ-170 — estimates put wingspan at 130 ft and empty weight near 22,000 lb — with longer range and more sophisticated sensors. The U.S. Air Force has not publicly acknowledged the programme. Reported designer: Northrop Grumman. Operating unit: 24th Operations Squadron / Det 5 at Tonopah / Plant 42, with specific details varying across reports.

How many RQ-170s are in service?

An estimated 25-30 RQ-170 airframes are in U.S. service in 2026. Airframe count, deployment locations, and mission details remain classified, and the U.S. Air Force has not publicly disclosed fleet numbers. Most reporting suggests around 30 airframes were originally produced, with some lost or retired — the 2011 Iran capture being the most public loss. The RQ-180 successor programme is reportedly expanding the U.S. stealth-UAV fleet, but procurement numbers remain classified.

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