Unveiling the ‘Beast of Kandahar’
By Michael Hoffman – Staff writer
Posted : Monday Dec 21, 2009 7:00:12 EST

Secret plane? What secret plane? Oh, that secret plane.

If you passed through Kandahar Air Base in Afghanistan and thought you saw a plane that looked something like a miniature version of the stealth B-2 Spirit bomber, you weren’t seeing things.

The Air Force now acknowledges it has flown a stealthy remote-controlled aircraft called the RQ-170 Sentinel out of Kandahar.

For two years, the RQ-170 has been the Air Force’s Bigfoot. Photos and drawings of the stealthy UAV, also called the “Beast of Kandahar,” have surfaced, producing shrugs and no-comments from service officials. In early December, a clear photograph of the jet’s left side appeared on aviation Web sites, perhaps prompting the Air Force to ’fess up.

Lockheed Martin’s Advanced Development Program — better known as Skunk Works in Palmdale, Calif. — built the RQ-170. Read Full Article