A rare U.S. Air Force RQ-170 “Sentinel” stealth surveillance drone was recently spotted returning to Roosevelt Roads Naval Station in eastern Puerto Rico, following U.S. military strikes conducted overnight against targets in Venezuela.
About RQ-170 Sentinel:
It is an American high-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).
It was designed and manufactured by Skunk Works, a division of Lockheed Martin (an American defense and aerospace manufacturer), for the United States Air Force (USAF).
It is designed to execute intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) and electronic warfare missions over a target area.
The aircraft entered service in the mid-2000s and has previously been associated with U.S. operations in the Middle East and Asia.
Features:
It features a flying-wing design optimized for reduced radar visibility and long-endurance flights.
It features a blended fuselage, pointed nose, and tricycle-type landing gear.
An electro-optic camera was incorporated beneath the front fuselage section to seize real-time imagery or videos of the battlefield it is surveying.
It can capture real-time imagery of the battlefield and transfer the data to the ground control station (GCS) through a line of sight (LOS) communication data link.
It is fitted with an active electronically scanned array radar, synthetic aperture radar, and signal intelligence in its belly fairings.
About 90% of the aircraft is made up of composite materials to decrease its overall weight.
Dear Student,
You have still not entered your mailing address. Please enter the address where all the study materials will be sent to you. (If applicable).
