The RQ-170 Sentinel is a stealthy, tailless flying-wing reconnaissance drone built by Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works for the U.S. Air Force. Known as the 'Beast of Kandahar' after it was first photographed in Afghanistan, it watched over the 2011 bin Laden raid, lost one airframe intact to Iran the same year, and took part in the January 2026 operation that captured Nicolás Maduro. Developed by Lockheed Martin (Skunk Works).
The RQ-170 Sentinel is a stealthy, tailless flying-wing reconnaissance drone built by Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works for the U.S. Developed by Lockheed Martin (Skunk Works).
See Specifications for full detail.
The Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel is a stealthy, tailless flying-wing unmanned aircraft built by Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works for reconnaissance and surveillance in defended airspace. It is flown by the U.S. Air Force's 30th and 44th Reconnaissance Squadrons, part of the 432nd Wing at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada, and has been in service since 2007.[1][2]
Almost nothing about the aircraft is officially published. The Air Force acknowledged its existence in 2009, after photographs taken at Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan had earned it the nickname 'Beast of Kandahar', and has released no dimensions, performance figures or fleet size since. It is known publicly through three events: surveillance of Osama bin Laden's compound during the May 2011 raid in Pakistan, the loss of one aircraft largely intact to Iran in December 2011, and its part in the January 2026 operation that captured Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro.[1][3]
The RQ-170 came out of the same Skunk Works line of stealthy uncrewed designs as the RQ-3 DarkStar of the 1990s and the Polecat demonstrator, and shares obvious design features with both. Its first operational unit, the 30th Reconnaissance Squadron, was activated on 1 September 2005 at Tonopah Test Range Airport in Nevada, and the aircraft first deployed to Afghanistan in late 2007. A second squadron, the 44th Reconnaissance Squadron, was established on 1 April 2015.[1]
The Air Force's only fact sheet on the type is a few lines long. It describes a 'low observable' unmanned aircraft developed with Lockheed Martin to provide reconnaissance and surveillance for the joint forces commander, flown by Air Combat Command's 432nd Wing and the 30th Reconnaissance Squadron. Beyond that, the service has published at least one photograph and nothing else - no first flight date, no number built and no performance data.[4][5]
The Sentinel is a tailless flying wing with a single engine and two pods faired into the upper wing surfaces, painted medium grey rather than the black used on high-altitude reconnaissance types. The engine has never been identified; analysts have suggested a General Electric TF34 or a Garrett TFE731 turbofan. Dimensions are disputed: a US Army training circular gives a wingspan of 38 ft 7 in (11.58 m) and a length of 14 ft 9 in (4.5 m), a 2009 Aviation Week estimate put the span at about 66 ft (20 m), and Iran claimed about 85 ft (26 m) after measuring the aircraft it captured.[1]
The sensor fit is equally unconfirmed. Aviation specialists have suggested an electro-optical/infrared turret, a possible active electronically scanned array radar in a belly fairing, communications-intercept equipment, and hyperspectral sensors able to detect traces of radioactive isotopes and chemicals. Bill Sweetman, who named the aircraft, judged that it probably carries one or at most two payloads and is modest in both range and altitude, with a ceiling unlikely to exceed 50,000 ft. It carries no weapons.[1][5]
On 2 May 2011 an RQ-170 orbited over Osama bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, during the US Navy SEAL raid that killed him, sending live video back to US commanders. Seven months later, on 4 December 2011, another came down near Kashmar in north-eastern Iran, about 140 miles (225 km) from the Afghan border. Iranian television showed the aircraft largely intact on 8 December, and the United States confirmed the footage was genuine. President Obama asked for it to be returned; Iran refused.[1][6]
Iran's Revolutionary Guard said its electronic-warfare unit had captured the drone by jamming its control link, forcing it onto its GPS autopilot, and then feeding it false GPS signals so that it landed in Iran believing it was back at its base in Afghanistan. US officials said only that they had no indication it was brought down by hostile fire, and the cause has never been independently established. Iran showed a claimed copy in May 2014 and unveiled the full-size Shahed 171 Simorgh and the smaller Saegheh in 2016; in February 2018 Israel shot down a Saegheh-type drone that its officials said was largely based on the RQ-170.[6]
Public sightings since 2011 have been rare. The aircraft has been reported at Kunsan Air Base in South Korea, and The War Zone has tied its movements to Naval Air Station Sigonella in Italy, Greece and possible missions near Crimea over the Black Sea in 2022 and 2023. The 432nd Wing mentioned an RQ-170 deployment in 2021 without naming a location, which was the last public acknowledgement of its operations for almost five years.[2][3]
On 3 January 2026 RQ-170s took part in Operation Absolute Resolve, the US operation to capture Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, gathering intelligence before the raid; one was photographed returning to Puerto Rico that day. Neither the Air Force nor US Southern Command confirmed their role, but Lockheed Martin chief executive Jim Taiclet named the RQ-170 alongside the F-35, F-22 and Black Hawk on the company's earnings call on 29 January 2026.[5][3][7]
The Air Force is estimated to have between 20 and 30 RQ-170s. In 2025 the 30th Reconnaissance Squadron, nicknamed 'the Blackbirds', flew 87 intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions across three combatant command areas, took part in six large-force exercises and graduated its largest-ever class of combat-mission-ready crews, and it was named Remotely Piloted Aircraft Squadron of the Year for 2025 at the Air & Space Forces Association conference in September 2026.[2]
The Sentinel is a first-generation stealth design, and one example has been in Iranian hands since 2011. Its expected successor is the Northrop Grumman RQ-180, a larger and more advanced stealth reconnaissance drone whose existence the Air Force briefly confirmed in 2014, though the RQ-170 remains in regular use as of 2026.[5][2]
The RQ-170 does not broadcast ADS-B and will not appear on Flightradar24. Almost everything publicly known about its movements comes from spotter photographs at forward bases - Kandahar in the late 2000s, and Puerto Rico after the January 2026 Venezuela operation.
| Performance | |
| Max Speed | ?? |
|---|---|
| Cruise SpeedCruise Speed — The economical speed an aircraft sustains for the bulk of a flight - lower than maximum speed, chosen for the best balance of time and fuel burn. Glossary → | ?? |
| RangeRange — How far an aircraft can fly without refuelling. Quoted figures vary with payload, speed and reserves - see also ferry range and combat radius. Glossary → | ?? |
| Service CeilingService Ceiling — The highest altitude at which an aircraft can still climb at a useful rate (typically 100 ft/min). Above it, the air is too thin to keep climbing meaningfully. Glossary → | ?? |
| Airframe & Weight | |
| Wingspan | ?? - published figures conflict (38 ft 7 in to ~66 ft) |
| Length | ?? |
| Height | ?? |
| WeightMTOW — Maximum Take-Off Weight - the heaviest an aircraft is certified to be at the start of its take-off run, including fuel, crew, payload and the aircraft itself. Glossary → | ?? |
| Power & Payload | |
| Engines | 1 x jet engine, type not disclosed (analysts suggest a General Electric TF34 or Garrett TFE731 turbofan) |
| Crew | None onboard - remotely piloted |
| CapacityPayload — Everything an aircraft is carrying that isn't the aircraft or its fuel: passengers, cargo, or weapons. Payload and fuel usually trade off against each other. Glossary → | ?? - reported to carry electro-optical/infrared sensors and possibly a radar in a belly fairing |
| Program & Service | |
| Manufacturer | Lockheed Martin (Skunk Works) |
| Origin | United States |
| First Flight | ?? |
| Service Entry | 2007 |
| Number Built | ?? - estimated at 20-30 |
| Unit Cost | Not publicly disclosed - the RQ-170 is a classified programme and no procurement figures have been released |
| Combat Losses | 1 lost intact over Iran on 4 December 2011 - Iran says it captured the aircraft electronically; US officials said there was no indication it was brought down by hostile fire |
3 notable events involving the RQ-170 Sentinel, 2011 to 2026. 0 deaths are recorded across the 1 of these with a figure listed. Curated rather than exhaustive.
An RQ-170 monitored Osama bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, during the US Navy SEAL raid that killed him, providing live video to commanders in the United States.
An RQ-170 came down near Kashmar in north-eastern Iran, about 140 miles (225 km) from the Afghan border, and was shown largely intact on Iranian television four days later. Iran claimed it had spoofed the aircraft's GPS; US officials said there was no indication of hostile fire. Iran refused a US request to return it.
RQ-170s gathered intelligence for the US operation that captured Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. Lockheed Martin's chief executive confirmed their involvement on 29 January 2026; the Air Force has not commented.
| RQ-170 Sentinel | The only publicly known version, a single-engine tailless flying wing with sensor pods faired into the upper wing surfaces and a medium-grey finish. Flown by the 30th and 44th Reconnaissance Squadrons, it carries unarmed reconnaissance payloads only - the 'RQ' designation denotes a reconnaissance drone. Around 20 to 30 are believed to have been built; the Air Force has never confirmed a figure. |
| Shahed 171 Simorgh (Iranian copy) | An unlicensed, full-size Iranian copy of the RQ-170, built after the December 2011 capture and unveiled in 2016. Iran first showed a claimed copy on state television in May 2014, which outside analysts judged to be a static mock-up, and announced a test flight that November. The Simorgh is not a Lockheed Martin product and has never been independently shown to match the original's performance. |
| Saegheh (Iranian derivative) | A smaller Iranian flying-wing drone unveiled in September 2016 and derived from the RQ-170's layout, with Iran claiming it can carry four precision-guided bombs. One version was shot down by Israel in February 2018 after crossing into Israeli airspace from Syria, and Israeli officials said its design was largely based on the captured American aircraft. |
No photos added yet for this aircraft.
No newly associated news articles since this aircraft was added to PlanesDB. When new news articles are published, they will be automatically added and tracked here.
Numbered as cited in the Overview article. Click a reference to see where it's used.
Additional reading you might find interesting...
The author(s) of this page have not shared any links yet
PlanesDB entries are living documents - this is how this one has evolved, and who helped make it happen. Spotted something out of date? Help update it.
