Lockheed's new mystery drone

[Sridhar]

By
Dave Majumdar
on June 15, 2012 10:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (View) | TrackBacks (0)

My colleague Zach Rosenberg found this interesting satellite image of Lockheed Martin's facility at Plant 42 in Palmdale, California. It looks a lot like a RQ-170, but bigger... in fact, the shape--from what we can make out--looks a lot like the P.420. But who knows? It's not like they're going to tell us what it is...

OSGEOINT (04DEC11) Skunk Works UAV.jpg

Here is where Zach found this: Open Source GEOINT (OSGEOINT): US: LM Skunk Works & Unknown UAV

Here is a Lockheed patent for an aircraft with a remarkably similar planform:D382851 Patent | Unmanned aircraft | PTO Direct

So it is the P.420? You be the judge...LMCO P-420 'Lightstar'.jpg

Lockheed's new mystery drone - The DEW Line

 

[Sridhar]

Thursday, 14 June 2012
US: LM Skunk Works & Unknown UAV

Located near USAF Plant 42, MSI on 04 December 2011 shows a very interesting imagery signature at Lockheed Martin's Advanced Development Program Facility (aka Skunk Works). Although the signature above does not conform to any known UAV, it's possible this could be anything from a mock-up to a failed design. (However, if it were a mock-up, why would LM feel the need to cover it?)

Measurements taken from imagery suggests the craft is roughly the same size as the RQ-170 at 4.8 meters while the wingspan is considerably larger--when compared to open source estimates--at 16.60 meters.

Any and all comments are welcome.

Update 1:
The guys over at Flight Global's the Dew Line proposed this aircraft as the above UAV:

P.420 [d382851]
[video]http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf#!flashvars#document_id=97237767&access_key=key-26ix651uiaqz8zmqroha&page=1&viewMode=list[/video]

Update 2:
Responding to an inquiry by The Huffington Post, a representative from Lockheed Martin would say little about the image:


"Lockheed Martin Skunk Works often experiments with different shapes and materials for both manned and unmanned vehicles," the statement reads. "What you see in the satellite image is one of those projects."

Open Source GEOINT (OSGEOINT): US: LM Skunk Works & Unknown UAV

 

[asianobserve]

Lockheed needs to recover its name on this sector after its newest drone was downed by the Iranians....