The "Beast of Kandahar" Has Been UnmaskedDecember 10, 2009
The U.S. Air Force came clean about an unidentified unmanned aircraft, which has been spotted in photos and shrouded in secrecy, according to the AFP. The mysterious aircraft, spotted in the southern Afghan skies as early as 2007, turns out to be the RQ-170 Sentinel. The drone is being developed by Lockheed Martin "to provide reconnaissance and surveillance support to forward deployed combat troops," according to the Air Force. Photos show the aircraft looks like a smaller version of the B-2 bomber with a radar-evading stealth design, the AFP reported. The "RQ" prefix indicates it is an unarmed drone with a flying wing design and no tail, but with sensors built into the top of each wing, according to published photos. The drone fits the thrust of Defense Secretary Robert Gates' request for more intelligence and surveillance tools, and the Air Force plans to expand its fleet of unmanned aircraft to meet this objective. The RQ-170 Sentinel comes from Lockheed Martin's "Skunk Works," or Advanced Development Programs, which has developed some of the military's most sophisticated and secret defense projects, including the U-2 spy plane, the F-22 fighter jet and F-117 Nighthawk, according to the AFP. The "Beast of Kandahar" images also raised questions about why the United States was flying a drone with radar-evading capabilities in a country where the insurgents have no sophisticated radar systems. Some speculate that the drones might be deployed for spying missions into neighboring Iran or Pakistan. |
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