Lockheed Martin has unusually confirmed that its top-secret RQ-170 Sentinel unmanned aerial vehicle played a role in a recent US military operation in Venezuela. This confirmation represents the most concrete public acknowledgment of the aircraft’s real-world employment since its introduction nearly two decades ago.
In a quarterly earnings call, Lockheed CEO Jim Taiclet outlined how the company’s advanced systems portfolio supported what was described as “Operation Absolute Resolve,” naming the F-35 and F-22 fighter jets, Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopters and the RQ-170 Sentinel UAV as key elements of the mission.
The operation culminated on January 3, 2026, with the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, throwing one of the military’s tightest systems into the spotlight.
Appearance of the Shadow Sentinels
Publicly available footage shows at least one RQ-170 returning to Naval Station Roosevelt Roads in Puerto Rico within hours of the operation’s completion. The base served as a hub for aircraft involved in the mission, and the images provided the first visual indication of the drone’s presence in the region.
Although the US military confirmed the involvement of various types of aircraft, it did not explicitly name the Sentinel until Lockheed’s confirmation.
The RQ-170 Sentinel was developed by Lockheed Martin’s renowned Advanced Development Programs division, widely known as Skunk Works, as a stealthy intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platform.
From its first flights in the late 2000s to its official recognition by the US Air Force in 2009, the aircraft has been one of the Pentagon’s most opaque programs. Analysts estimate that around 20 to 30 units were built, but precise production figures remain classified.
Physically, the RQ-170 is a flying wing design with an estimated wingspan of about 20 meters. Its stealthy shape and use of radar-absorbing materials allow it to enter contested airspace with a low probability of detection.
It carries advanced sensors that can collect electro-optical and infrared images, synthetic aperture radar data and signals intelligence, the latter crucial for mapping electronic emitters and establishing patterns of life on the ground.
The unique capabilities and mission role of the Sentinel
What makes the Sentinel unique among U.S. UAVs is its emphasis on passive collection, meaning it can conduct reconnaissance without actively transmitting signals that could reveal its location. This capability is valuable in operations against adversaries with advanced air defenses or in politically sensitive environments where discretion is paramount.
Analysts believe the RQ-170’s main contribution to the mission in Venezuela was real-time situational awareness. Orbiting at high altitude, the drone almost assured commanders of persistent tracking of critical locations, troop movements, and air defense positions.
RQ-170 in Iran / Image credit: Tasnim News Agency, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia.
In complex environments where friendly forces and national leadership operate in real time, such information can shape decisions and reduce risk to personnel.
In addition to overhead imagery, the drone likely contributed to broader information processing. Its sensors could have fed data into combat damage assessments of targets hit by cruise missiles or supported the insertion and extraction of special operations units into the Caracas urban sprawl.
None of this has been confirmed by US officials, but the integration of stealth ISR with kinetic actions reflects how modern conflict uses information advantage as a form of force multiplication.
A notorious history and a new role in modern warfare
The Sentinel’s public history is already marked by important missions. It gained attention in 2011 when a unit was lost in Iran, a rare and costly intelligence failure that revealed aspects of the drone’s capabilities to adversaries. It is also believed to have flown in support of operations in Afghanistan, Pakistan and along the Korean Peninsula.
Iranians caught one / Image credit: Mostafa Roudaki/Mizan News Agency, Attribution, Wikimedia.
The deployment to Venezuela underscores a doctrinal evolution for the RQ-170 from a strategic ISR asset to a tactical enabler for joint operations involving multiple force elements. Its continued use in such missions highlights the enduring value of covert and persistent intelligence platforms in shaping outcomes on the modern battlefield.
Lockheed’s confirmation fills a piece of the puzzle in understanding how the US military applies its most advanced reconnaissance tools. However, it also reminds us how much remains unknown about the Sentinel program, locked behind layers of classification.