In Instagram published on Instagram, an unknown jet aircraft in the sky in the area of the Edwards Air Force base, California, caused a lively discussion among users of the social network.
According to the publication Aviation Week & Space Technology, the plane flew at an altitude of just over 6,000 meters. According to one of Rob Colinsky’s Instagram, the plane resembles a strategic B-21 bomber from Northrop Grumman, which should replace the outdated B-1B Lancer and B-2 Spirit. However, the first experimental machine, according to official information, will be ready no earlier than 2022.
In this case, that the device flew in the sky of California? According to Aviation Week & Space Technology, it is very reminiscent of an unmanned two-engine reconnaissance aircraft RQ-180, created according to the Flying Wing scheme and using stealth technology.
RQ-4 Global Hawk drone
Currently, the US Air Force Air Force contains RQ-4 Global Hawk reconnaissance drones, which are very vulnerable to air defense systems. In June 2019, the Iranian Air Defense Air Defense was shot down by such a drone over the Strait of the Ormuzian Strait, which became an alarming signal for the leadership of the Pentagon.
To this day, the Air Force command has not publicly recognized the existence of RQ-180. At the beginning of 2020, it became known that it is seeking an early write-off of more than 2/3 of 35 RQ-4 Global Hawk. The solution is more than strange, since they have been in operation for less than 10 years.
In 2019, AW&T announced that the RQ-180 is already on the basis of the Air Force Bil in North California. To date, only a few characteristics of the RQ-180 are known, in particular, the scope of its wings is 52.4 m, which is more than the Boeing 737 (35.6 m).
Source — AW &