Northrop Grumman RQ-180 Reconnaissance Stealth UAV

Specifications

Year: 2015
Manufacturer(s): Northrop Grumman - USA
Production: 1
Capabilities: Reconnaissance (RECCE); X-Plane; Unmanned;

Crew: 0
Length: 131.23 ft (40 m)
Width: 164.04 ft (50 m)
Height: 34.45 ft (10.5 m)
Weight (Empty): 14,110 lb (6,400 kg)
Weight (MTOW): 44,533 lb (20,200 kg)

Power: (Assumed) 1 x turbofan engine.

Ceiling: 40,026 feet (12,200 m; 7.58 miles)
Range: 2,423 miles (3,900 km; 2,106 nm)

Operators: United States

The existence of the Northrop Grumman RQ-180 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) was unveiled by the United States Air Force in December of 2013. It is an unarmed, reconnaissance-minded platform intended for deep penetration actions over enemy airspace. It is assumed that the vehicle utilizes extensive stealth features including unique body-shaping and coatings to avoid enemy detection. The system is along the same form and function of the competing Lockheed RQ-170 Sentinel though with a more extended endurance envelope. The RQ-180 was selected ahead of competing designs offered by Boeing and Lockheed.

Northrop Grumman has already enjoyed considerable public exposure through recent successes with the X-47B product for the US Navy - completing the first-ever carrier landing by a UAV in aviation history. Northrop Grumman also has over a decades-worth of experience in supporting the technologically-advanced fleet of B-2 Spirit flying wing stealth bombers. It is believed that the new RQ-180 takes on a similar design shape as the X-47B. The vehicle's wingspan is estimated to be around 130 feet though little else on the product has been revealed to date (December 2013).

This article will be updated as new information becomes available.

Armament

None. Mission-specific payloads as related to reconnaissance, surveillance and intelligence-gathering.

Variants / Models

• RQ-180 - Base Series Designation