Robot model
RQ-170 Sentinel
Stealth reconnaissance UAV developed by Lockheed Martin for the US Air Force.
- Manufacturer
- Lockheed Martin
- Form factor
- aerial
- Maturity
- production
- Lifecycle
- active
- Deployments
- 1
The verified answer
As of Sep 2026, DEPLOY verifies RQ-170 Sentinel, a aerial by Lockheed Martin (production): 1 verified deployment on record. 1 source back the record.
Overview
Stealth reconnaissance UAV developed by Lockheed Martin for the US Air Force. 20-30 estimated in service. Used during Osama bin Laden raid.
Verified vs. claimed
- Maturity stage
- production(Full-scale production deployment with repeat customers.)
- Sources on file
- View all sources →
Key facts
Form Factor
Maturity
Data & sources
Web sources
1
1 source backing this record.View all →
Pricing
No verified price is on record for RQ-170 Sentinel. Physical-AI systems are often sold through enterprise contracts or operated as a service rather than at a public list price.
Deployments (1)
Sighted at Kandahar in late 2007.
RQ-170 Sentinel on the deployment map
View the global mapWhere RQ-170 Sentinel is verified operating. Explore the deployment map by place and type.
Recent activity
Every change to this record is dated, sourced, and independently verified where marked.
- Record createdAug 8, 2026
Added to the verified registry
- Deployment verifiedVerifiedJan 1, 2007
at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan
Safety record
No incidents on record for RQ-170 Sentinel.
Only active incidents are counted. Retracted incidents are excluded from this summary but remain reachable at their canonical URLs.
Sources (1)
Common questions
What is RQ-170 Sentinel?
How much does RQ-170 Sentinel cost?
Is RQ-170 Sentinel actually deployed in the real world?
Who makes RQ-170 Sentinel?
Where is RQ-170 Sentinel deployed?
Can you buy RQ-170 Sentinel?
What are alternatives to RQ-170 Sentinel?
How does RQ-170 Sentinel compare to Wing Delivery Aircraft?
Is RQ-170 Sentinel a top aerial?
What is RQ-170 Sentinel's maturity stage?
Is RQ-170 Sentinel safe?
Methodology: Verified · 1 source (no primary) · last reviewed 2026-08-09
Verification posture
Verified
Low confidence
Review state
Stable
Last reviewed 2026-08-09
Maturity + lifecycle
Maturity stage: production
Lifecycle: active
Architectural position
Cohort: aerial
Sources by quality tier
- 1
- knowledge-base
- Knowledge base
The framework is documented at /methodology. Corrections at /corrections. Reviewer: DEPLOY editorial team.
Methodology surface for RQ-170 Sentinel.Recent coverage
RQ-170 Sentinel in third-party press
New Details About Secretive RQ-170 Sentinel Drone Squadron Shared With New Award
Lockheed Confirms RQ-170 Sentinel Flew in Maduro Capture Operation - interestingengineering.com
Lockheed's RQ-170 drone used in mission to capture Venezuelan leader - interestingengineering.com
Attention vs reality over time
Media mentions per month (area) against verified deployment events (dots). A press spike over a flat deployment line is the hype gap, drawn over time.
In the press
Recent coverage mentioning RQ-170 Sentinel from third-party publications. Automatically surfaced; not part of the verified registry record.
New Details About Secretive RQ-170 Sentinel Drone Squadron Shared With New Award
The 30th Reconnaissance Squadron is one of two units known to operate RQ-170s, and it is very rare to hear any details about its activities. The post New Details About Secretive…
Lockheed Confirms RQ-170 Sentinel Flew in Maduro Capture Operation - interestingengineering.com
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Lockheed's RQ-170 drone used in mission to capture Venezuelan leader - interestingengineering.com
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America's Secret Stealth Drone Just Appeared in Venezuela Op One of Its Rarest Public Sightings - Defense Express
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The Drone that Stalked Bin Laden - Smithsonian Magazine
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DEFENSIE: RS-170 Sentinel vliegrobot (1) infographic - graphicnews.com
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Iran has flown its version of the captured U.S. stealthy RQ-170 drone modified to bomb US Navy warships - The Aviationist
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Aviation Week: Air Force's new stealth spy drone is already flying - NBC News
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If Iran has decoded all data in the captured U.S. stealth RQ-170 drone it’s no big deal - The Aviationist
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Iran has captured another U.S. spy drone. Once again with minimal damage. - The Aviationist
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Chinese delegation currently in Iran to copy the U.S. stealthy RQ-170 drone captured in 2011. - The Aviationist
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Mystery Drone exposed by satellite imagery at Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works update: it was already there in 2009... - The Aviationist
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Machine-readable surfaces
- Markdown mirror: /models/lockheed-rq-170.md
- JSON-LD: embedded in this page’s head
- REST API: /v1/models/64e67c25-fc1c-4c45-a171-0657a90e423b
- Revision history: /models/lockheed-rq-170/history
- Data documentation: /data
- Query this programmatically: Deploy MCP
Reality vs attention
RQ-170 Sentinel draws attention at the 41st percentile but verifies reality at the 24th percentile among aerial robots. Hype Gap +17.4, 40th widest among aerial robots.
6-month trend
Analysis
Thin deployment record; scale validation still in progress.
Signal flags
Dimension breakdown
Verified signal
Attention (reach, not merit)
DEPLOY Intelligence scores are computed from verified registry data: confirmed deployments, disclosed funding rounds, regulatory filings, active job listings, video viewership, and press coverage. Confidence ratings reflect data availability. Scores update nightly.
DEPLOY Indices — verified vs claimed
Last computed: Sep 23, 2026