Feb 4, 2026 - Technology

Secretive Lockheed RQ-170 drones used in Maduro raid

Colin Demarest

Illustration of a map with Battle Ship game toy pieces placed near Venezuela. — Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

Stealthy RQ-170 surveillance drones aided the U.S. capture of Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro last month, maker Lockheed Martin confirmed.

Why it matters: It's a rare, public flex of such a secretive asset.

Plus, it's the same type of aircraft that stalked al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden more than a decade ago.

Driving the news: Lockheed in a fourth-quarter earnings announcement said Sentinel drones, F-22 and F-35 fighters and Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopters were deployed in Operation Absolute Resolve.

The U.S. had more than 150 warplanes in the air for the daring raid, according to Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine. They also included Northrop Grumman's E-2 Hawkeye and Boeing's B-1 Lancer.

Context: The RQ-170 was developed by Lockheed's clandestine Skunk Works division.

The Air Force in 2020 disclosed it was involved in a $1.4 million test event dedicated to stealth, suppression of enemy air defenses and electronic warfare.

Go deeper: U.S. leveled military facilities in Maduro attack, satellite imagery reveals

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Secretive Lockheed RQ-170 drones used in Maduro raid

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