US Readies New Large Spy Drone

An unmanned spy drone with a wingspan larger than that of a Boeing 737, the recently revealed RQ-180 UAV, seeks to extend US airpower dominance over countries equipped with stealth detection capabilities.

A recent report in Aviation Week pulled the curtains off the RQ-180, a US$2 billion program, whose existence is acknowledged neither by its developer Northrop Grumman nor the Pentagon.

The RQ-180 is expected to improve upon the capabilities of the Lockheed Martin RQ-170 drone which is equipped with an ability to "listen" to cell phone conversations and "smell" potential underground laboratories from miles above.

While Afghanistan and Pakistan are of no threat to US drones, countries such as Iran, North Korea, Russia and China could be the target flying zones of the RQ-180. A US RQ-170 drone had earlier been shot down over Iran as per Tehran’s claims but denied by US which only acknowledged it as missing.

Whereas, the RQ-180 may be more focused on stealth and electronic attacks, piloting a new radar-reducing cross-section design that can not only minimize the chance of discovery but allow the drone to fly higher with an endurance of about 24 hours while the RQ-170 has about 6 hours of flying time. Some reports say the new drone has in-flight refueling capability.

The RQ-180 carries an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar which is known for allowing precise tracking but still being difficult to detect over background noise, along with passive electronic surveillance measures.

A key feature of the RQ-180’s design is an improvement in all-aspect, broadband radar cross-section reduction over Lockheed Martin’s F-117, F-22 and F-35. This is optimized to provide protection from low- and high-frequency threat emitters from all directions.

Incorporating advances in stealth and aerodynamics, the RQ-180 shows that low-observable technologies can still adapt to counter new threats such as low-frequency radar.

The RQ-180 secures a foothold for stealth in future war plans, in which extremely expensive “do everything” platforms are eclipsed by families of networked, cooperative systems, Aviation Week said in its report.