B-21 looking drone spotted in Israel

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Nealios@reddit

If you view this video on a large display, you can see the propeller at the back reflecting the sunlight. Not an RQ-180.

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liedel@reddit

Viewed it on large display, I'm not sure that's a propeller. Could be a novel propulsion of some sort, looks like flashes of fire or exhaust from the nozzle in the center.

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EzraiilEzraiil@reddit

It's Persians drone

In the war, we saw a number of these drones in the sky, but there were no hits to destroy them. They came and easily returned to their bases.

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Daniels30@reddit

The Israelis have their own RQ-180 looking drone called the RA-01. It made it debut last year over Lebanon.

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Any_Towel1456@reddit

Do we know that's the RA-01? Cause Google Images can't make sense of what it's supposed to look like.

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Adjutant_Reflex_@reddit

We don’t “know” the J-50 or JH-36 are called that, but that’s what they’re called until we know otherwise. There’s some NK kit that’s just named after the city and year it was first spotted.

Point being, this looks like the Israeli drone spotted last year and makes a helluva lot more sense than the US deploying the RQ-180, IMO.

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gnartato@reddit

Do any other countries have them other than the US?

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interstellar-dust@reddit

India has one - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DRDO_Ghatak

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Icy-Firefighter1284@reddit

My cousin is an aeronautical engineer and he may be working on that but I may never know.

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scoobopdan@reddit

Because besides your post seeming like a pointless lie, it ultimately adds absolutely nothing to the conversation.

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Icy-Firefighter1284@reddit

I don’t see what I did wrong for so much hate.

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yakult_on_tiddy@reddit

Nope, first prototypes were built earlier this year. It's at least 3-4 years away from induction.

However given the recent success of Indian drones against Pakistan there is renewed push in the government to fastrack and fund more of these drone programs.

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TypicalRecon@reddit

Iran captured a 180 years ago as well

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Peter_Merlin@reddit

Iran captured a Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel in 2011. The Northrop Grumman RQ-180 is completely different.

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TypicalRecon@reddit

Thank you! Too many damn numbers! lol

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D4zb0g@reddit

Dassault made a demonstrator in 2012, France is supposed to fund the production of one based on the nEUROn

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alv0694@reddit

Iran reverse engineered a them years ago

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Mental_clef@reddit

China seems to just have joined the club with the recent satellite pictures from one of their airbases.

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Adjutant_Reflex_@reddit

Recon drones? CCP has had them for years.

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RealPutin@reddit

China and Israel have flying wing drones.

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ConnorOldsBooks@reddit

SHIKAKA, the great white bat flies again!

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Dismal-Preference-66@reddit

White devil ! Thats how he know you !

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Opening-Two6723@reddit

To the US: excuse me....your balls are showing....bumblebee tuna

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good_looking_corpse@reddit

Yes, I have one right here. It's bulky, but I consider it a carry on.

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Nervous-Tea393@reddit

Flying around like "Daawwww nobody wants ta play with meeee"

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Bestefarssistemens@reddit

Well, I know what movie I'm watching after work with a joint today

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retr0FPS@reddit

what movie is the reference too ? already got the joint on hand ;)

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ConnorOldsBooks@reddit

Unrelated, but last night I did exactly that with the new movie Deep Cover and holy shit I haven’t laughed that hard in a while.

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BraidRuner@reddit

Darmok and Jalad, at Tenagra.

Shaka when the walls fell..

Temba with his arms wide open..

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Khyron_the_Destroyer@reddit

Uzani, his army with fists open

Uzani, his army with fists closed

Mirab, with sails unfurled

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laxintx@reddit

Chi-caaaaaaaaago! You're outta there!

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wewd@reddit

I was not aware that the Wachutu were biters!

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Forsaken_Western3508@reddit

Whole planet babyyy, Trump did a stupid decision protecting Israel in a war Iran didn't start

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ObjectReport@reddit

Nope, we're not. Iran just got curb stomped by Israel and the top Iranian officials have probably fled the country at this point.

https://www.twz.com/news-features/gaggle-of-iranian-government-aircraft-make-mysterious-dash-to-oman

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Icy-Midnight-6358@reddit

No such thing as Palestine. Gazans will become Indonesian soon ❤️

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Any_Towel1456@reddit

What does that even look like? Google Images can't make up its mind, showing all kinds of modern drones.

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Any_Towel1456@reddit

IKR. I was asking a totally valid question.

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upturned2289@reddit

It’s because he’s spamming it on every comment

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Any_Towel1456@reddit

RQ-180 or B-21. Can't tell from this distance.

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BobMcGeoff2@reddit

OP never said that it was a b-21. Just that it was a drone that looked like one.

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Hockeyfan_52@reddit

The B-21 not flying until 2029 is what they want you to think.

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We saw the prototype testflight of it last year, where it still had its data collection probes and stuff on it, I doubt it's been pushed into active duty and serial production since then considering they were still collecting data and refining the design not long ago. Also B21 is not really needed in the ME rn, considering the US already has 6 B2s forward positioned at Diego Garcia.

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freema22@reddit

The B-2s went home a month or so ago. It's not to say they couldn't go back: DVIDS - Images - B-2 Spirit stealth bombers return from Diego Garcia

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improbablydrunknlw@reddit

There's 4 b52s there now.

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RadicalCandle@reddit

Do you know what the unknown aircraft next to the KC-135s and C5 was?

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Same_Shower8533@reddit

They wouldn't operationally risk losing a B-21 this early in the program. Especially that far from CONUS

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Adjutant_Reflex_@reddit

It doesn't even make sense to use in this context.

Israel reportedly has air supremacy over about 1/3 of Iran, and likely superiority over more territory to the east. Should the US get involved, directly, USAF/USN can rely on more traditional platforms or other stand-off systems. If a B-2 was deployed it's probably because they need it for the MOP and that's going directly at Fordow.

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WatchDogx@reddit

The B-21 is also designed to carry the MOP, if the B-21 is much stealthier than the B-2, then perhaps you could make an argument for using it instead.

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Adjutant_Reflex_@reddit

Designed for =/= certified for.

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deleted_by_reddit@reddit

[removed]

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GIJoeVibin@reddit

I wish this sort of myth would die.

No, it will take probably about that long. They have done some test flights, it will take time to get weapons fully integrated and operational. Then you need time to equip units. One could theoretically be surged into service before then, but you would not have anything even close to an operational squadron ahead of schedule, barring the sorts of massive production you only see in large wartime mobilisation.

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snappy033@reddit

Huge effort taking years to get it operational. The pilots and long list of specialized support personnel have not even seen the aircraft let alone been trained on how to fly and support it. Kind of embarrassing and useless to fly it a few times then it breaks and just sits there while people figure out how to get parts for it or some other issue they haven’t worked out yet.

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cat_prophecy@reddit

If it was so secret that they lied about its deployment date, they wouldn't be flying it in broad daylight.

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ThrowawayCop51@reddit

Lol right?

The Nighthawk didn't exist at all. Until it did.

We came up with the GBU-28 in 3 weeks. I think if they needed to run a crash program to bring the B-21 to IOC they could do that ricky tick.

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Hockeyfan_52@reddit

Lol I was mostly making a joke. But in reality we know what they want us to know and what we know is literal propaganda. They aren't talking about the B-21 for the love of aviation.

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IanCrapReport@reddit

So then it’s definitely been operational since 2015.

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Maxrdt@reddit

Military Industrial Complex, well known for getting things done ahead of schedule.

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mythrilcrafter@reddit

Big Bang Theory can be a coin flip between funny and not funny, but one of my favorite jokes from the show was the guys confessing to the Colonel that they're not going to meet their deadline for their gyroscope project.

Colonel: "How far of deadline are we talking?"

Leonard and Co: "...... ummm, uhh... 5 to 10 years...."

Colonel: "hmmm..... okay, that's works; you guys think you're the first contractor to miss a deadline? The Reagan administration is still waiting for their space laser!"

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IanCrapReport@reddit

On time and under budget!

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StellarJayZ@reddit

No but seriously. When the US says "we think this design can be operational in two years" it's been operaterating for five.

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Opposite-Shoulder260@reddit

I remember reading somewhere that the B2 secretly participated in the first gulf war, a year or two before it was "officially delivered" to the air force.

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IanCrapReport@reddit

In another instance, I think the F117 was first acknowledged during the Panama war in the 80s.

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Amirkerr@reddit

And in another instance the A-12 (SR71 precursor) was officially revealed in the 1990s' while the aircraft was retired in 1968. It was a CIA aircraft not an Air force one.

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Any_Towel1456@reddit

Good one!

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MidsummerMidnight@reddit

B21 has likely been flying for years already

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Daniels30@reddit

It's the RA-01

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zackks@reddit

Other Ra01 pics have a tail

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CenturyLinkIsCheeks@reddit

the middle section doesn't look like the other pics of the rq-180 that have surfaced, so i definitely tend to go this direction

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Any_Towel1456@reddit

What does that even look like? Google Images can't make up its mind, showing all kinds of modern drones.

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Messyfingers@reddit

Definitely not a B-21

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friendlyposters@reddit

RA01

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Mike__O@reddit

Really hard to tell the size from this video. Allegedly the B-21 won't be IOC for several more years. Given the secrecy of the program it's not a stretch to think that they might be playing around with either a prototype or even a production unit doing black-world stuff.

More likely this is a smaller aircraft like an RQ-170, whose general shape and outline looks a lot of what we have seen from confirmed pictures and videos of B-21s

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Homey-Airport-Int@reddit

The would never "play around" with the AF's newest, most advanced stealth aircraft over an active combat zone. There is literally zero benefit. We have foreign radars at Area 51 and other bases, there is enormous risk and absolutely zero utility to testing the aircraft in an active combat zone.

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Mike__O@reddit

They ABSOLUTELY did "play around" with the AF's newest, most advanced stealth fighter when they sent the F-22 to play in Syria in a mission it was not really designed for. They wanted to get the F-22 "into the fight" and as a result gave the Russians and Iranians a front row seat to collect reams of data on it. Russians got to point plenty of different ground and air radars at live F-22s and see what happened.

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Homey-Airport-Int@reddit

At that point the F-35 was the newest and most advanced stealth fighter. Seizing on the "newest" part is silly, you missed the point. B-21's are literally brand new, not even assigned to units yet and still in testing. The test program is literally ongoing. The F-22 had been in full service for nearly a decade before going to Syria. It's not even remotely close to being the same thing.

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dented-spoiler@reddit

There's no way they'd risk losing the latest prototype over a combatant area knowing the cost to build it. Strategic assets are never used that way.

Tactical drones that are slightly cheaper to reproduce, yeah probably.

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cat_prophecy@reddit

Not to mention flying it in broad daylight where anyone can see.

The F-117 and B-2 did trials during daylight but only in places where anyone who saw it was already cleared.

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Homey-Airport-Int@reddit

FWIW there have been plenty of trials of the B-21 in broad daylight.

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Mike__O@reddit

Wouldn't be the first time they sent inappropriate but expensive assets into combat just for "experience" but more likely for political purposes to justify the exorbitant cost.

They sent a prototype E-8 to Iraq for the first Gulf War, and more recently (and unnecessarily) sent F-22s to Syria.

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Opposite-Shoulder260@reddit

I read once that the B2 was also in the first Gulf War, one or two years ahead of the official delivery date

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dented-spoiler@reddit

Those are all still tactical assets. Bombers are a strategic asset.

Plus this latest one has features they haven't really told us about openly but visually/vaguely hinted in the announcement images and dialogue.

If it was the 80s or 90s or even 2000s where everyone has nearly same level of capabilities MAYBE, but this new thing, yeah definitely not.

But who knows, government orders things in pairs, even prototypes so maybe they did because every rule we've held to previously has been thrown out with this "administration"

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Electrical-Lab-9593@reddit

i think in the case of syria if it crashed / shot down i think were confident they could recover or destroy it with a large missile/bomb

might not be so easy if it fell in a country like Russia or China

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Any_Towel1456@reddit

RQ-170 has different shaped wings, fat at front towards thin at back.

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Durable_me@reddit

what is the wobble in the last 2 seconds of this video ??

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Ok_Geologist_448@reddit

Not a B2, B2 is bigger.

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z1y2x3w4v5u6t7s8@reddit

Not a b2 because anyone with eyes can tell its not

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dareal5thdimension@reddit

Also not a Ho-229, Ho-229 is smaller

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LilleroSenzaLallera@reddit

Not a B2 because the shape is completely different (I mean, still stealth flying wing, but still comparing the trailing edge is easy)

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Any_Towel1456@reddit

You can see how big this thing is from this footage? Cause I can't.

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PuzzleheadedSpirit47@reddit

That’s funny how people read the comments then reply like they are some kind of geniuses even tho they know nothing about drones

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Ilovew33dlot@reddit

Most likely Israel’s RA-01 but looks damn near identical to the RQ-180

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LilleroSenzaLallera@reddit

Clearly a RQ-180 or Israeli rip-off (all'eredità RA-01).

B2 is completely different, B21 no real reason to risk it and parade it for everyone to see until completely rolled out in production

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liedel@reddit

Clearly

Mentions three different possibilities.

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charlietsmith3@reddit

Somebody has got their Advanced UAV on a Call of Duty map

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Nuclear_corella@reddit

👀

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Fitch9392@reddit

Well, the weirdness at the end leads me to believe it’s fake…

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zedzol@reddit

American-Israeli Genocidal Military Industrial Complex

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Plus-Suit-5977@reddit

Why is it moving side to side? Not real.

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NodeAttentionSpan@reddit

Palestine*

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Straight-Will7659@reddit

Looks like an RQ-170 more than a 180 because it doesn’t have the slightly protruding nose

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Any_Towel1456@reddit

I argue the opposite because the RQ-170 has a fatter front part of its wings, unlike the B-2, B-21 and RQ-180.

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speurk-beurk@reddit

I'd say RQ-170 cause the wings don't "portrude" from the aircraft body like it does on the RQ-180.

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Straight-Will7659@reddit

Did just attempt to “correct” my spelling with incorrect spelling inside quotations?

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speurk-beurk@reddit

Huh

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acynicalmoose@reddit

Why’s it so low though.

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Any_Towel1456@reddit

on approach for landing I guess

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acynicalmoose@reddit

I’m stupid and read as if this was over Iran.

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Opening_Letter_2182@reddit

This is not verified but there are a special type of bunker buster bomb (which penetrates deep 11 storeys below ground) which could be only launched using B-2 while Israel ones penetrates only 6 storeys, so is there a chance its actual B-21 in video

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Homey-Airport-Int@reddit

Stories*. And we have no idea what bunker busters Israel may have, they are tight lipped about that sort of thing. Hence this drone that has rarely been seen, but operating for years now.

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nodspine@reddit

Wings look too long to be an RQ-170 (or its iranian copies shahed 171/191) and the geometry isn't right for an RQ-180 either. could be the secretive RA-01

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rapatakaz@reddit

The plane seen this morning in the skies of Iran and Israel was neither an American stealth bomber nor an Israeli drone. This is one of the three main variants of the Iranian Saegheh drone: the Shahed 171, 181 or 191 with a range of 1,500 km. The drone is a reverse-engineered and modified version of the American RQ-170 Sentinel and has been used in Syria since 2018.

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elteide@reddit

It looks fake AF. Check at the end how the plane is in the center but the containers at the right are moving at the same time the camera does. For me this is clearly cheap VFX (image over video)

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PentagonWolf@reddit

Most likely a Iranian Shaheed Saegheh-2 doing post strike assessment. (You can see the little propeller turning on the back)

It’s based on a captured RQ-180 from 2019

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54H60-77@reddit

Can you imagine having a drone designed specifically for stealth, and then sticking a propeller on it? Thats no longer a stealth drone

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coneycolon@reddit

An Iranian drone lingering above Israel doing damage assessment? That's pretty unlikely. They can't even fly above Tehran anymore.

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Thek40@reddit

RA-01

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Any_Towel1456@reddit

What does that even look like? Google Images can't make up its mind, showing all kinds of modern drones.

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Primary_Chain9405@reddit

It is a secret Israeli stealth drone. We don't know what it looks like.

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krodders@reddit

We may have a clue now

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Any_Towel1456@reddit

Thank you for confirming. It's what I thought.

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kcdale99@reddit

This is an Israeli RA-01. Was first photographed in 2024 so it is a known drone.

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ObjectReport@reddit

This is the correct answer.

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tigeryi98@reddit

Does not look like B-21 at all too short

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ObjectReport@reddit

Israel has an as-yet unseen stealth drone. This is likely it.

https://www.twz.com/air/the-existence-of-israels-secret-stealth-drone-should-come-as-no-surprise

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Still-Union-2528@reddit

This is Israel’s RA-01.

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JimHFD103@reddit

Could be an RQ-170 Sentinel stealth recon drone... or one of the even more secretive RQ-180, those dont even have a leaked picture, but are said to be a similar-ish flying dorito shape as well

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d_maeddy@reddit

It looks like it has a propeller in the back though? (and there are prop sounds around)

So maybe none of the American types mentioned in the comments here?

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_Atheius_@reddit

Surprised I had to scroll so far to find someone mentioning it.

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Proud-Barracuda7564@reddit

Model 107 I think?

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WhoDatAficionado@reddit

The flying Dorito

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Ancient_Nebula_8786@reddit

If that was a fuckin b2 Iran should be shitting themselves

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Ok_Sea_6214@reddit

There have been rumors in the past that Israel developed ucavs for stealthy air strikes.

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Callistoo-@reddit

My boomerang!

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SpaceDaFuture@reddit

You know shits fucked up when rumored aircraft show up.

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JackedJaw251@reddit

Freedom Dronito

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DesertRunnerX@reddit

Interesting if the RA-01 or RQ-180, as there are rumors that both can carry weapons. May explain some of the long range strikes in Iran.

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BuffsBourbon@reddit

Can it carry a BLU-122? Asking for a friend.

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jocax188723@reddit

I sometimes wonder if the RQ-180 is just a B-21 operating in an unmanned config.
It's extremely unlikely, but not impossible.
Then I wonder if it'd be an QB-21 instead.

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xxp0loxx@reddit

.

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CannonAFB_unofficial@reddit

Ghost of Kandahar.

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er1catwork@reddit

Loved that name….

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TheOzarkWizard@reddit

Looks like a Ukranian b1 bomber drone

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AdventurousLife2987@reddit

Heading for children in tents or to the West for the apartment tower complexes in other countries they keep bombing?

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strchkrk@reddit

Is there any chance that, this is an Iranian copy of RQ-170 like Shahed 171 or Saegheh?

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salkhan@reddit

Doesn't Iran have a copy of the US drone they downed in Iranian territory?

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r0tal@reddit

Thats a RA-01 buddy

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Ricerat@reddit

https://theaviationist.com/2024/10/29/mysterious-drone-video/

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Chechewichka@reddit

I assume the one filming are soldiers. Voices:
Voice 1: What is this? Is it ours?
Voice 2 (you can barely hear it): Yes, (rest is illegible)
Voice 1: What you are saying can't even travel here.
Voice 2 (still illegible, I'm half guessing): .... There is a chance it seeing us
Voice 1: I hope it won't release some kind of rocket.

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