Classy new stealth drone aircraft were engaged by the Central Intelligence Agency to fly dozens of secret missions deep into Pakistani airspace and monitor the compound where Osama bin Laden was killed. The drones used were the Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel, the bat-winged shape larger stealth warplanes.

In an effort to capture high-resolution video that satellites could not provide, the agency conducted secret flights with the help of RQ-170 Sentinel over the compound of Laden for months before the May 2 assault. The drone has been designed to evade radar detection and operate at high altitudes.

The RQ-170 Sentinel represent a major advance in the capabilities of remotely piloted planes. The aircraft helped the CIA glide undetected beyond the boundaries that Pakistan has long imposed on other US drones, including the Predators and Reapers that routinely carry out strikes against militants near the border with Afghanistan.

The stealth drones were also used on the night of the raid, providing imagery that President Obama and members of his national security team watched as the US Navy SEALs descended in Pakistan.