A member of Iran’s revolutionary guard (R) points at the U.S. RQ-170 unmanned spy plane as he speaks with commander Amirali Hajizadeh at an unknown location in Iran. (Reuters)
Iranian state TV broadcast video on Thursday of what it said was the stealth U.S. drone that Tehran claims its forces downed earlier this week.
The just over two minute footage shows Iranian military officials inspecting what state TV identified as the RQ-170 Sentinel drone. The cream-colored aircraft appeared intact and undamaged.
The chief of the aerospace division of Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guards, Gen. Ami Ali Hajizadeh, said Iranian forces brought the aircraft down with an electronic ambush, causing minimum damage to the drone.
The just over two minute footage shows Iranian military officials inspecting what state TV identified as the RQ-170 Sentinel drone. The cream-colored aircraft appeared intact and undamaged.
The chief of the aerospace division of Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guards, Gen. Ami Ali Hajizadeh, said Iranian forces brought the aircraft down with an electronic ambush, causing minimum damage to the drone.
“It was downed through a joint operation by the Guards and Iran’s army,” he told state television.
Tehran appeared to be using the footage of the purported drone to score propaganda points, and a banner at the foot of the aircraft in the video read: “The U.S. cannot do a damn thing” ─ a reference to a quote made by the late supreme leader, Ayatollah Rouhollah Khomeini.
Tehran appeared to be using the footage of the purported drone to score propaganda points, and a banner at the foot of the aircraft in the video read: “The U.S. cannot do a damn thing” ─ a reference to a quote made by the late supreme leader, Ayatollah Rouhollah Khomeini.
Questioning the evidence
Some Western experts questioned whether the aircraft in the video was indeed an RQ-170.
John Pike, an expert on military and intelligence technology for GlobalSecurity.org, said in an email, that the drone shown on Iranian TV looked like “a parade float model of a Sentinel” rather than the high-tech robotic surveillance aircraft itself.
He said that the shape of the aircraft differed from that shown in most other photographs of the Sentinel, and that it was in better shape than would be expected after a crash. “I’m guessing this is a mock-up they have prepared for a parade,” he said.
According to The Washington Post, hours after the incident, Iran state TV news showed only stock images of the RQ-170 stealth drones and not pictures of the crash.
But if it is true, it can put the U.S. in high jeopardy.
“The United States has lost less-sophisticated unmanned aircraft in recent years over Iran, but a nearly intact RQ-170 could offer a potential windfall of useful intelligence for the Iranians and their allies,” The Washington Post reported on Tuesday.
The unmanned drone has special coatings and batwing-like shape that is designed to evade detection by enemy radar, and the Iranian studying details of the aircraft can help them understand U.S. stealth technology and help with clues on how to spot other aircraft, the newspaper reported U.S. officials as saying. The U.S. officials have also acknowledged the drone’s loss.
But The Associated Press reported some U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject matter, as saying that they were not sure as to what the Iranians would be able to glean technologically from what they found.
Iran confirmed for the first time since 2005 that the U.S. has been flying surveillance drones over its airspace to spy on its military and nuclear facilities. The U.S. and its allies suspect Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran denies.
U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of classified information, have said the drone and other stealth craft like it have spied on Iran for years from a U.S. air base in Afghanistan, and other bases in the region.
In January, Tehran said two pilotless spy planes shot down over its airspace were operated by the U.S., and in July, media said Iranian military officials showed Russian experts several U.S. drones reportedly shot down in recent years.
Faced with international sanctions over its disputed nuclear program, Iran has been trying to build up its own military technology.
It unveiled its first domestically built unmanned bomber in 2010, calling the aircraft an “ambassador of death” to Iran’s enemies. Two year earlier, Tehran announced it had built an unmanned aircraft with a range of more than 600 miles (1,000 kilometers), far enough to reach Israel.
Both Israel and the United States have not ruled out a military option against Iran’s nuclear facilities, which the West suspects aim to make atomic weapons - a charge Iran denies.
U.S. hardline Republican figures have also expressed their desire to see covert operations against all of Iran and Syria to respectively topple their regimes.
John Pike, an expert on military and intelligence technology for GlobalSecurity.org, said in an email, that the drone shown on Iranian TV looked like “a parade float model of a Sentinel” rather than the high-tech robotic surveillance aircraft itself.
He said that the shape of the aircraft differed from that shown in most other photographs of the Sentinel, and that it was in better shape than would be expected after a crash. “I’m guessing this is a mock-up they have prepared for a parade,” he said.
According to The Washington Post, hours after the incident, Iran state TV news showed only stock images of the RQ-170 stealth drones and not pictures of the crash.
But if it is true, it can put the U.S. in high jeopardy.
“The United States has lost less-sophisticated unmanned aircraft in recent years over Iran, but a nearly intact RQ-170 could offer a potential windfall of useful intelligence for the Iranians and their allies,” The Washington Post reported on Tuesday.
The unmanned drone has special coatings and batwing-like shape that is designed to evade detection by enemy radar, and the Iranian studying details of the aircraft can help them understand U.S. stealth technology and help with clues on how to spot other aircraft, the newspaper reported U.S. officials as saying. The U.S. officials have also acknowledged the drone’s loss.
But The Associated Press reported some U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject matter, as saying that they were not sure as to what the Iranians would be able to glean technologically from what they found.
Iran confirmed for the first time since 2005 that the U.S. has been flying surveillance drones over its airspace to spy on its military and nuclear facilities. The U.S. and its allies suspect Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran denies.
U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of classified information, have said the drone and other stealth craft like it have spied on Iran for years from a U.S. air base in Afghanistan, and other bases in the region.
In January, Tehran said two pilotless spy planes shot down over its airspace were operated by the U.S., and in July, media said Iranian military officials showed Russian experts several U.S. drones reportedly shot down in recent years.
Faced with international sanctions over its disputed nuclear program, Iran has been trying to build up its own military technology.
It unveiled its first domestically built unmanned bomber in 2010, calling the aircraft an “ambassador of death” to Iran’s enemies. Two year earlier, Tehran announced it had built an unmanned aircraft with a range of more than 600 miles (1,000 kilometers), far enough to reach Israel.
Both Israel and the United States have not ruled out a military option against Iran’s nuclear facilities, which the West suspects aim to make atomic weapons - a charge Iran denies.
U.S. hardline Republican figures have also expressed their desire to see covert operations against all of Iran and Syria to respectively topple their regimes.
Iran complains to the U.N.
Iranian state radio has said the unmanned aircraft was detected over the eastern town of Kashmar, some 140 miles (225 kilometers) from the border with Afghanistan.
But on Friday, the state television’s website reported that the U.S. drone penetrated 250 kilometers (150 miles) inside the Islamic republic’s air space.
In a letter of protest to the United Nations, the government said “the American RQ-170 spy plane violated 250 kilometers inside Iranian airspace before confronting the reaction of Iran's armed forces,” the website reported.
“Provocative and secret actions by the American government against the Islamic republic in recent months” have been on the increase, it charged.
It said Tehran had lodged “a strong protest against this violation of international rules by the U.S. government” and warned against any “repetition of such actions.”
Iran called for the United Nations to condemn “this violation,” in the letter addressed to the U.N. secretary general as well as the presidents of the Security Council and General Assembly.
In related news, Iran’s Foreign Ministry summoned the Swiss ambassador on Thursday to protest the drone’s “invasion” of Iranian airspace, according to state TV. It said the ministry demanded an explanation and compensation from Washington.
The U.S. and Iran do not have diplomatic relations, and Switzerland represents American interests in Iran.
But on Friday, the state television’s website reported that the U.S. drone penetrated 250 kilometers (150 miles) inside the Islamic republic’s air space.
In a letter of protest to the United Nations, the government said “the American RQ-170 spy plane violated 250 kilometers inside Iranian airspace before confronting the reaction of Iran's armed forces,” the website reported.
“Provocative and secret actions by the American government against the Islamic republic in recent months” have been on the increase, it charged.
It said Tehran had lodged “a strong protest against this violation of international rules by the U.S. government” and warned against any “repetition of such actions.”
Iran called for the United Nations to condemn “this violation,” in the letter addressed to the U.N. secretary general as well as the presidents of the Security Council and General Assembly.
In related news, Iran’s Foreign Ministry summoned the Swiss ambassador on Thursday to protest the drone’s “invasion” of Iranian airspace, according to state TV. It said the ministry demanded an explanation and compensation from Washington.
The U.S. and Iran do not have diplomatic relations, and Switzerland represents American interests in Iran.
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