Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel
| RQ-170 Sentinel | |
|---|---|
| Artist's rendering | |
| General information | |
| Type | Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) |
| Manufacturer | Lockheed Martin |
| Status | In service |
| Primary user | United States Air Force |
| Number built | 20 to 30 |
| History | |
| Introduction date | 2007 |
| Developed into | Shahed 171 Simorgh Shahed Saeqeh |
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 was deployed to Afghanistan in late 2007, South Korea two years later in September 2009, and was used during the 2026 United States intervention in Venezuela. 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.