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USAF Confirms New Secret Stealth Plane
Gizmodo.com ^ | 12/04/09 | Jesus Diaz

Posted on 12/04/2009 3:46:26 PM PST by Reaganesque

The existence of a new secret plane photographed this week has been confirmed by the United States Air Force. The secret aircraft now has an official denomination: The RQ-170 Sentinel, a flying wing developed by Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works.

The RQ-170 is a stealthy unmanned aircraft designed to "provide reconnaissance and surveillance support to forward deployed combat forces." It's flown by the 30th Reconnaissance Squadron at Tonopah Test Range, Nevada, under the Air Combat Command's 432d Wing at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada.

The aircraft has a 65-foot wingspan, with a fat body and a blended wing design. It's unarmed, and—according to David A. Fulghum at Ares—its light color is unusual for high altitude UAV. [Ares]


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; US: Nevada
KEYWORDS: aerospace; creechafb; lockheedmartin; plane; secret; skunkworks; stealth; uav; usaf
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I posted the earlier thread when this pic was first released and no one knew what it was. So, this is an update. Cool tech!
1 posted on 12/04/2009 3:46:27 PM PST by Reaganesque
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To: Reaganesque

What’s it carbon footprint?/s


2 posted on 12/04/2009 3:48:35 PM PST by Dallas59 (No To O -Time is going by really really really really slow.)
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To: Reaganesque

I can’t see it... no, wait, um, yes, there it is! I can see it!!!!!


3 posted on 12/04/2009 3:49:07 PM PST by irishtenor (Beer. God's way of making sure the Irish don't take over the world.)
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To: Reaganesque
This is what it looks like:






4 posted on 12/04/2009 3:49:57 PM PST by Brilliant
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To: Reaganesque

Unarmed?


5 posted on 12/04/2009 3:50:07 PM PST by null and void (We are now in day 317 of our national holiday from reality. - 0bama really isn't one of US.)
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To: Reaganesque

The Polecat was 2 engines this puppy is single.


6 posted on 12/04/2009 3:52:16 PM PST by omega4179 (0 is an embarrassment to us all.)
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To: irishtenor
I can’t see it... no, wait, um, yes, there it is! I can see it!!!!!

The only thing they'll see is that bomb or missile slamming into their face.

7 posted on 12/04/2009 3:52:38 PM PST by UAConservative (Audemus Jura Nostra Defendere)
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To: null and void
R or reconnaissance. I like it. It's gonna provide some nasty surprises once we get a CinC who's not afraid to use it.
8 posted on 12/04/2009 3:54:19 PM PST by Lonesome in Massachussets (The CRU needs adult supervision.)
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To: null and void

For now...


9 posted on 12/04/2009 3:55:02 PM PST by Reaganesque ("And thou shalt do it with all humility, trusting in me, reviling not against revilers.")
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To: null and void
Unarmed?

Yes. Although it would be very useful for pinpointing a target for a cruise missile or even a very fast fighter-bomber.

10 posted on 12/04/2009 3:57:20 PM PST by justlurking (The only remedy for a bad guy with a gun is a good WOMAN (Sgt. Kimberly Munley) with a gun)
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To: null and void

I’m not understanding why this thing does not carry weapons in a launch bay. I understand the unarmed part if we’re flying over China or Russia, but it would be better if it could roast some more Taliban.


11 posted on 12/04/2009 3:58:26 PM PST by UAConservative (Audemus Jura Nostra Defendere)
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To: Brilliant

It’s like it’s not even there at all.

I can just make out the tail.....Look right here below.

See?


12 posted on 12/04/2009 3:59:39 PM PST by Tenacious 1 (Government For the People - an obviously concealed oxymoron)
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To: Reaganesque

Makes you wonder how many times that aircraft has been photographed and reported as an alien craft of some sort.


13 posted on 12/04/2009 4:00:16 PM PST by exnavy (Where's Rooster Cogburn when you need 'em?)
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To: Reaganesque

This wing can’t be the fabled “Aurora”, is it?


14 posted on 12/04/2009 4:01:03 PM PST by montomike (Politics should be about service and not a lucrative, money-making opportunity!)
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To: Reaganesque

Looks a lot like the B-2. They still have neither confirmed nor denied the Aurora. I remember Popular Mechanics doing an article on that many years ago. The supposed replacement for the SR-71.


15 posted on 12/04/2009 4:01:54 PM PST by FlyVet
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To: Reaganesque

High altitude light colored and unarmed?
One of these doesn’t fit.
Unless it’s ARMED and low altitude.


16 posted on 12/04/2009 4:01:58 PM PST by Darksheare (Tar is cheap, and feathers are plentiful.)
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To: montomike

The fabled Aurora is suppose to have the scram jet propulsion system, be long and sleek to cut through the atmosphere at mach 6.

This does not look like it would want to go quite that fast.

But what do I know.


17 posted on 12/04/2009 4:03:22 PM PST by Tenacious 1 (Government For the People - an obviously concealed oxymoron)
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To: montomike

I think the Aurora was supposed to be a manned hypersonic aircraft. Way faster than the SR-71.


18 posted on 12/04/2009 4:03:46 PM PST by FlyVet
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To: exnavy

Paging the Noory crew....


19 posted on 12/04/2009 4:04:26 PM PST by RadioCirca1970 (Victory or Death in the War on Terror)
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To: All
This from Wikipedai (posted just an hour ago):

The 30th Reconnaissance Squadron, which is based at Tonopah Test Range Airport, operates RQ-170 Sentinels. This squadron was activated on September 1, 2005. RQ-170 Sentinels have been deployed to Afghanistan, where one was sighted at Kandahar International Airport in late 2007.[1]

So, the Air Force can keep a secret when it wants to.

20 posted on 12/04/2009 4:05:37 PM PST by Reaganesque ("And thou shalt do it with all humility, trusting in me, reviling not against revilers.")
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