Mystery UAV in Afghanistan

Steyr

http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/the-dewline/2009/12/kandahars-loch-ness-mystery-pl.html

**Picture In Link**

Kandahar's Loch Ness mystery plane returns
By Stephen Trimble on December 1, 2009 11:34 AM

Kandahar's Loch Ness monster has been spotted again. This time an actual photo of the beast was published by French journalist Jean-Dominique Merchet, who writes for the Liberation newspaper, on his Secret Defense blog. We last saw the mystery Kandahar aircraft in a drawing by Shephard's Unmanned Vehicles and a very grainy photo published by Air & Cosmos.

The new photo offers a slightly better view of the nose. Is that a canopy screen above the nose? I wondered in May if this might actually be a manned aircraft, even if it was first sighted on UV.com. If there is a cockpit, where is the air intake for the engine? The half-moon exhaust pipe strikingly resembles the P175 Polecat, a Skunk Works product.

Regardless of how it is piloted, the Kandahar aircraft's existence raises several existential questions: What does it do? Why do you need a stealthy-looking aircraft to spy on Al Qaeda and the Taliban? What's all the secrecy about? While I'm asking, can somebody please get a head-on picture?

[UPDATE: Bill Sweetman, of Ares blog infamy, believes the aircraft is the Skunk Works' Desert Prowler, which would make it a UAV.]

vulcan57

Steyr wrote: »

http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/the-dewline/2009/12/kandahars-loch-ness-mystery-pl.html



Regardless of how it is piloted, the Kandahar aircraft's existence raises several existential questions: What does it do? Why do you need a stealthy-looking aircraft to spy on Al Qaeda and the Taliban? What's all the secrecy about? While I'm asking, can somebody please get a head-on picture?

[UPDATE: Bill Sweetman, of Ares blog infamy, believes the aircraft is the Skunk Works' Desert Prowler, which would make it a UAV.]

Maybe its Russian taking a peep at what the yanks are up to??. Must admit, though, it does look American.

muppet01

looks like a shrunken b2 , the airforce is downsizing........

garfieldsghost

Looks identical to Lockeed's 'Polecat' UAV. The programme was cancelled a couple of years ago but Lockheed are supposed to be working on another UAV called the 'Desert Prowler' using a similar airframe. This could be it.

Steyr

garfieldsghost wrote: »

Looks identical to Lockeed's 'Polecat' UAV. The programme was cancelled a couple of years ago but Lockheed are supposed to be working on another UAV called the 'Desert Prowler' using a similar airframe. This could be it.

See my post:

"[UPDATE: Bill Sweetman, of Ares blog infamy, believes the aircraft is the Skunk Works' Desert Prowler, which would make it a UAV.]"

Steyr

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/12/07/335875/usaf-reveals-rq-170-sentinel-is-new-stealth-uav.html

DATE:07/12/09
SOURCE:Flight InternationalUSAF reveals RQ-170 Sentinel is new stealth UAV
By Stephen Trimble

A stealthy unmanned aircraft system developed by Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works division has secretly joined the US Air Force inventory.

The USAF confirms that the RQ-170 Sentinel is in development, and is expected "to provide reconnaissance and surveillance support to forward-deployed combat forces", according to a statement released on 4 December.

The announcement comes after a series of images of a jet-powered, stealthy aircraft have appeared on the internet since last April, including a clear shot of the aircraft that circulated widely in early December.

But it was not immediately clear whether the aircraft shown in pictures and the RQ-170 are the same. Besides describing the RQ-170 as stealthy, the USAF released no further technical information about its new UAV, or any photos.