Is this the "Beast of Kandahar"?
The wingspan, length, engine type - in fact, all relevant details about the RQ-170 Sentinel - are unknown (beyond the ultra top-secret hangars where they are stored somewhere between the Tonopah Test Range and Creech Air Force Base in Nevada).
But, one thing is certain.
The remotely-piloted spy plane (nick-named the "Beast of Kandahar") is cut-out for its job as a stealth fighter jet!
The RQ-170 Sentinel - as it is officially known in military circles - is the latest hi-tec aircraft developed for reconnaissance surveillance to support combat forces.
Unlike the propeller-drive unmanned aerial systems installed in the Predator and Reaper, the Sentinel has a jet-powered platform, according to insiders.
Andy Bourland - Chief spokesperson for the Air Force Press - was pretty mum when it came to disclosing details about the aircraft and downright reticent about releasing a publicity still or two ( for obvious reasons).
The information that was offered up was pretty dry in the final analysis.
"The RQ-170 Sentinel, a low observable UAS, was built by Lockheed Martin's Advanced Development Programs. The fielding of the RQ-170 aligns with Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates' request for increased intelligence surveillance and intellligence support to the Combatant Commanders and Air Force Chief of Staff General Norton Schwartz's vision for an increased reliance on unmanned aircraft," a statement from the office of Mr. Bourland summed up.
According to informed sources, the "Beast" has been flying classified missions over Afghanistan, and has only been photographed twice.
A trade journal (Aviation Week & Space Technology) has described the novel spy plane as a "tailless flying wing" with a wingspan similar to that of the rear propeller-driven MQ-9 Reaper (wingspan 66 feet).
Sources close to the upper echelon have whispered that the Sentinel appears to be powered by a single jet engine so that it can fly at high altitudes and monitor large areas.
The "Beast" is likened to a scaled-down version of the B-52 Spirit Bomber which can effectively evade radar detection.
John Pike (a director @ http://www.globalsecurity.org/) speculated that it would make sense for the Sentinel to use persistent surveillance like the predator does out-of-sight and high above its targets below at wider ranges.
Due to its unique capabilities - ultimately - the Sentinel may be facilitated as a regional surveilance system to cover terrorists activities across a far-reaching terrrain which may include countries such as Yemen, Somalia, Iran, and Pakistan.
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