Message posted by Vahe Demirjian (Member since 04/28/2022) on November 30, 2023 at 9:48:53 PST:
In the chapter of the book "Dreamland: The Secret History of Area 51" titled "Unusual Flying Objects", there is a table on page 415 listing the nine flight test articles of the Northrop Grumman P-ISR ("RQ-180") unmanned strategic reconnaissance flying wing along with their serial numbers and dates/years of first flight, and it is mentioned in the chapter that one of the nine P-ISR EMD vehicles crashed during a flight sortie east of Groom Lake in December 2016. However, none of the other eight P-ISR ("RQ-180") aircraft have been publicly unveiled despite the aircraft being photographed in flight in 2020-2021. With the B-21 Raider having just begun flight tests, it is more likely than not that Northrop Grumman and the US Air Force could publicly unveil one of the P-ISR EMD flight test vehicles at a ceremony in Palmdale next year marking the 85th anniversary of the founding of the Northrop company and the 30th anniversary of the merger of Northrop with Grumman that created Northrop Grumman. As a matter of fact, the first and second P-ISR ("RQ-180" ) aircraft first flew in 2010 and 2011 respectively but their current whereabouts remain confidential, so the USAF may have chosen to hold off on immediately lifting the lid on the "RQ-180" despite sightings of the aircraft in flight because some classified properties of this aircraft were eventually incorporated into the airframe of the B-21. Therefore, the first or second P-ISR ("RQ-180") vehicle could be candidates for a public unveiling ceremony for the P-ISR, and the aircraft with serials 04-0831 and 08-0832 may become exhibits at the National USAF Museum at WPAFB and the Western Museum of Flight respectively, with another P-ISR article being potentially donated to the Blackbird Airpark Museum.
Replies: