Posted on 12/05/2011 8:59:13 AM PST by americanophile
Tehran claims to have brought down with "little damage" an RQ-170 surveillance drone, considered one of the most secret aircraft in the world, flying inside eastern Iran.
The seizure of the unarmed surveillance drone intact would give access to a treasure trove of classified information including the designs of the aircraft and its payload of sensors.
However it was unlikely the drone had escaped a crash or being shot down without significant damage and its sensitive technology was probably rigged with self-destruct mechanisms, experts added.
Suspicion surrounds the claims because Iran has yet to release any footage of the captured drone or its wreckage.
Nato forces confirmed a drone went missing in Afghanistan near the Iranian border last week, though would not say what kind it was.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
Story is wrong. This drone is new, but not very secret. Does not have newest generation technology, because it was designed to be cheap and expendable when used in area of good enemy AAA.
Civilian reporter gets military story wrong.......... again!
Losing these kinds of things is just a risk that you take. Either that, or you never deploy it, and never get the benefit of its use.
Yeah. Afghanistan is noted for its advanced radar systems and antiaircraft technology.
We understand that all aircraft, vehicles, vessels and personnel can all be captured by the enemy.
We could hand most of our new weapons directly to the Chinese and Russians and they could reverse engineer it, maybe, in a few years. They would then realize they have no way to deploy it and can’t keep using it because they lack the expertise and down range forces to do so.
Where was it written: “Casting pearls in front of swine.”?
This drone is still being, “tested;” if they have a drone it is not this one.
Butt
Butt
Butt
Afghan AAA:
Machmoodh! I hear a noise. Get your Enfield.
I think maybe the Iranians figured a way to jam the signal needed to fly this thing.
If so that aint good.
It’s hard to say what is going on becaue Iran is known to lie, but so is our intelligence.
“Yeah. Afghanistan is noted for its advanced radar systems and antiaircraft technology.”
NOTE: RPG’s can take out Chinooks..........
A 12.7mm or 14.5mm Heavy Machine gun cand certainly down a dink-ass drone.
Horten H.IX circa Spring 1944?
US military has confirmed it’s a RQ 170 Sentinel.
Most likely a mechanical or computer malfuction, as opposed to a shoot down.
Here’s the story http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/12/05/us-military-sources-iran-has-missing-us-drone/
Gosh, just how *did* Iran wind up getting that Stuxnet worm? And how did they manage to have two explosions in a period of a week, right in the middle of well-protected classified facilities?
Thanks americanophile.
Oh, that big 1982 Siberian explosion? [William Safire]
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