U.S. Military Stealth Drone Appears! Paving the Way for Aerial Intelligence to Capture Maduro

According to a report on the War Zone website on [date], on the night of [date], the United States launched a joint military operation codenamed "Absolute Resolve" in Venezuela to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. The operation was carried out by U.S. Special Operations Forces and was supported by a substantial aerial force, including stealth fighters, electronic warfare aircraft, bombers, and various support aircraft. Among the many assets involved in the operation, aviation observers captured video footage of the highly classified U.S. Air Force RQ-180 "Sentinel" stealth drone returning to base after the mission at the former Roosevelt Roads Naval Station in Puerto Rico, confirming its participation in the combat operation.

The development of the RQ-170 "Sentinel" began at the turn of the century and was undertaken by Lockheed Martin's renowned "Skunk Works." The project progressed under strict secrecy, and its existence was only vaguely acknowledged by the U.S. Air Force by the end of the year. The public first caught a glimpse of its true form through blurry photographs taken near Kandahar Airport in Afghanistan in 2009, earning it the nickname "The Beast of Kandahar." The drone's design inherits the tailless flying-wing configuration previously used by Skunk Works in stealth UAV projects such as the RQ-3 "DarkStar" and the "Desert Hawk." This configuration minimizes the radar cross-section to the greatest extent, serving as a key factor in achieving stealth. Although the official production numbers have never been disclosed, external estimates suggest a fleet size of between 20 and 30 aircraft. Operated by the 30th and 38th Reconnaissance Squadrons under the 432nd Wing of the U.S. Air Force's Air Combat Command, the drones are primarily based at Creech Air Force Base in Nevada and the Tonopah Test Range.

- is a high-altitude, long-endurance stealth unmanned aerial vehicle, estimated to be approximately . meters in length, with a wingspan estimated between . and . meters (some sources suggest a wingspan of approximately . meters or . meters), and a height of about . meters. It features a tricycle landing gear configuration. The airframe extensively uses composite materials to reduce weight. The power system is speculated to be a General Electric or Honeywell turbofan engine, providing approximately . tons of thrust, enabling it to sustain flight for several hours at an altitude of around , meters. The "-" prefix indicates that its primary mission is reconnaissance against adversaries using various advanced onboard sensors. The raised structure on the upper fuselage is believed to house a satellite data link or an electro-optical/infrared sensor ball, capable of providing full-motion video. The large fairing on the underside of the fuselage is designed to carry modular mission payloads, which may include an active electronically scanned array radar with synthetic aperture imaging and ground moving target indication capabilities. This allows it to penetrate clouds and camouflage, precisely map ground targets, and track moving vehicles. It may also be equipped with a signals intelligence suite for intercepting and locating communication signals. This multi-spectral sensing capability enables the - to conduct long-term, covert "pattern-of-life" surveillance on specific targets, accurately recording their daily routines, security deployments, and activity routes, thereby providing critical intelligence for operational planning.

The design of the - is primarily intended for persistent surveillance of high-value targets in high-threat environments and to provide critical intelligence support for special operations. As a result, it has long been active at the forefront of the U.S. global intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance network, filling the gap between reconnaissance satellites (with limited revisit cycles) and traditional reconnaissance aircraft (with weak survivability). It is specifically tasked with conducting covert reconnaissance in heavily defended enemy airspace. Its first combat deployment was during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. In the year, it was deployed to South Korea to monitor North Korea's military activities. Its most widely known operational application occurred in the year, when it provided continuous real-time monitoring and intelligence support for SEAL Team Six during Operation Neptune Spear to capture Osama bin Laden, demonstrating its core value in supporting high-risk special operations. In the same year, this type of drone also suffered a major setback when one - performing surveillance over Iran was captured by Iranian electronic warfare units, with the airframe largely intact. Iran claimed to have reverse-engineered it and subsequently developed its own stealth drones, such as the Shahed- and Shahed-. Additionally, the - has been used to monitor Iran's nuclear facilities, to scout Russian military deployments in Crimea during the Ukraine crisis, and in the year, it conducted joint exercises with the - stealth bomber and - fighter jets to test its penetration reconnaissance capabilities with support for suppressing enemy air defenses.

During the execution of the mission to capture Maduro, encrypted intelligence was transmitted in real-time to the command center via satellite data links, ensuring that decision-makers and frontline personnel received synchronized information. It is highly likely that surveillance of Maduro's residence had been conducted continuously for months prior to the mission. On the night of the operation, in coordination with manned stealth fighters such as the F-22 and F-35, the RQ-170 provided an "eye in the sky" for special forces operating deep behind enemy lines. It monitored the target area in real-time, alerted potential threats, and may have conducted damage assessments after the airstrikes. The appearance of the RQ-170 Sentinel stealth drone on this mission was a demonstration of strategic capability, indicating that the United States still possesses the ability to conduct prolonged covert surveillance and execute precise strikes and captures under dense air defense systems. It also highlights the core value of stealth drones in modern warfare, particularly in high-end conflicts. Even platforms like the RQ-170, whose airframe performance is no longer cutting-edge, can still achieve significant stealth advantages when confronting the air defense networks of many regional nations. However, it must be said that the U.S. military has yet to unveil its next-generation product, which reflects a significant regression in its research and development capabilities!