Here's What You Need To Remember: While some of the United States’ more iconic drone platforms like the RQ-4 Global Hawk or the RQ-9 Reaper are relatively high-endurance platforms, they lack both the ability to survive in highly contested environments by virtue of their nonstealthy design.

Photographic evidence recently surfaced that appears to show a mysterious drone — about which not much is known. The photo was apparently taken somewhere around Edwards Air Force Base in southern California at an altitude estimated to be around 20,000 feet or about 6,100 meters. In the photo, a pale flying-wing type airframe is seen with a pair of contrails following from behind. Based on this information, the drone would appear to be a high altitude, long-endurance-type drone that also incorporates low-observable features — possibly the RQ-180.

Blackbird, Whitebird?

Since the legendary SR-71 Blackbird’s retirement in the late 1990s, the United States has lacked a rapid-response platform capable of intelligence gathering in highly contested airspace. Though aerial surveillance of important ground targets can be done today by satellite, space-based observation is hampered by orbit paths. Repositioning a satellite to snap photos of an area not within their orbit around the Earth just takes time. But, time is often of the essence. In some cases, a jet can be in position quicker than a satellite can.

And while some of the United States’ more iconic drone platforms like the RQ-4 Global Hawk or the RQ-9 Reaper are relatively high-endurance platforms, they lack both the ability to survive in highly contested environments by virtue of their nonstealthy design. And unlike the mind-numbingly fast SR-71, they cannot simply hit the accelerator and fly out of danger. Here’s where the RQ-180 would excel.

A glance at this unmanned aircraft reveals a few of its features. First and foremost is the pale, nearly-white paint scheme. During daytime flight, a whitish livery is an ideal camouflage when at altitude, whereas a dark paint scheme would be better suited for nighttime flying. We can therefore deduce that the RQ-180 may be intended as a high-altitude daytime flyer.

Another analysis of the mysterious airframe gave some insight into the airframe, and further evidence that it is indeed the RQ-180. “The unusual light color of the vehicle also is believed to be a link to the RQ-180. A local nickname around Edwards AFB for the RQ-180 is the “Great White Bat”—or sometimes “Shikaka”—a fictional sacred white bat from the 1995 movie Ace Ventura 2,” noted Aviation Week. 

The contrails aft of the fuselage also indicates that the RQ-180 has a pair of engines buried within its fuselage quite close together, though why contrails would be visible remains a mystery. Other aircraft that actively attempt to avoid detection try to suppress their contrails. The U-2 spy plane, for example, is equipped with a simple rear-facing mirror with which to see if the airframe’s engines are creating a contrail. If they are, the pilot can then take corrective action by increasing or decreasing the airplane’s altitude to reduce condensation emission.

The unmanned aircraft’s wings are also longer than other flying wing designs, like the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, who’s wings are by comparison, rather stubby. The wing’s sweep angle also appears to be less than that of the B-2 bomber.

Postscript

Much remains unknown about this new platform, and surely more will come out in the coming days. But make no mistake — as soon as we know, you’ll know. 

Caleb Larson is a defense writer for the National Interest. He holds a Master of Public Policy and covers U.S. and Russian security, European defense issues, and German politics and culture.

Image/Wikicommons: Original illustration by me using 3d applications and basic photogrammetry techniques from the only three, low-resolution photographs publicly available at time of completion. Created to illustrate the Wikipedia RQ-170 Sentinel article. Human-scale was determined from "Aviation Week" blog article reporting that the wingspan is estimated to be 65-feet. 

Image: Reuters