Saturday, December 10, 2011

Foreign Policy and I

Downed US drone: How Iran caught the 'beast'

Iran's apparent capture of a largely intact RQ-170 Sentinel spy drone, which was reportedly monitoring Iran's nuclear program, is a significant loss for the US.

By Scott Peterson, Staff writer / December 9, 2011
This photo released on Dec. 8, by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, claims to show the chief of the aerospace division of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh (l.) listening to an unidentified colonel as he points to US RQ-170 Sentinel drone.
Sepahnews/AP
Enlarge
Istanbul, Turkey
Iran is pushing the propaganda advantage after showing it captured an intact US stealth drone on a spying mission 140 miles inside Iran.
Related stories
Topics
Hours after Iran state TV displayed the cream-colored American bat-wing RQ-170 "Sentinel" drone – it's undercarriage hidden by banners of a US flag, with stars replaced by skulls and marked with anti-US slogans – Iranian officials said the spy craft was proof of enduring US hostility toward Iran.
"Iran will target all US military bases around the world," in case of further violations, warned conservative lawmaker Mohammad Kossari today. Iran's response would be "terrifying."
IN PICTURES: Iran's military might
US officials confirmed with "high confidence" that the drone displayed by Iran is almost certainly the one reported lost last by US forces in Afghanistan last week. It was on an intelligence mission to hunt evidence in Iran of nuclear weapons work.
Despite those and other intelligence-gathering efforts – which are reported to include even surreptitiously installing radiation detectors at suspect sites in Tehran – the drone flights have apparently not yielded new evidence that would change conclusions by the United States and the United Nations that Iran stopped systematic nuclear weapons-related work in 2003.
Loss of the stealth drone is "very significant," says Robert Densmore, a defense journalist and former US Navy electronic countermeasures officer contacted in London.
"These Sentinels are pretty rare technology still, and to have one in such good condition, to be lost to a potential adversary like this, is pretty significant, especially because Iran has open ties to Russia and has been courted by China," says Mr. Densmore.

US loss

"Strategically, the US will suffer from the loss of this because ... it has radar, a fuselage, and coating that makes it low-observable, and the electronics inside are also very high-tech," says Densmore. "Diplomatically, Iran is really looking for a way to save some face," after the expulsion of Iranian diplomats from London, and increased scrutiny of its nuclear program, adds Densmore. "They are really looking for something to say to the world, to change public opinion, to say, 'Look, we're really the victims here.'"
Iran officially complained to the UN Security Council for the "blatant and provocative" violation of its airspace, and demanded "condemnation of such aggressive acts."
State-run PressTV said that international law made the clandestine US flights over Iran an "act of war."
1 | 2 | 3
E-mail Permissions

Save $60 when you give the Monitor this holiday season!

Read Comments

These comments are not screened before publication. Constructive debate about the above story is welcome, but personal attacks are not. Please do not post comments that are commercial in nature or that violate any copyright[s]. Comments that we regard as obscene, defamatory, or intended to incite violence will be removed. If you find a comment offensive, you may flag it.
  • If you have questions about comments or comment policy, check out our FAQ page.
  • When posting a comment, you agree to our Terms of Service.

Add New Comment

Sid Harth
  • Image

  • Share on:

    Facebook
Real-time updating is enabled. (Pause)

Showing 1-101 of 104 comments

  • Sid Harth
    World War-II, was a children's Board Game, as compared with the World War-III, US patents pending.

    Of all the world supremacy loose talk, Uncle Sam's invisible (to radar) aggressive, foreign (War) Policy has been busted, Oops, punctured by Iran's bows and arrows preindustrialization, Oops, pre-pre-Ice age (M-US-slim) culture.

    Note: The letter "M" stands for Moronic. "US" stands for, Oops, sits for, Oops, sleeps for, Oops, slips (in believability) for United States (of the Great Satan of the West) America. The world "slim," stands for the outside chances of this Great Satan of the West making any noticeable difference in Iran's quest for Atomic (Bomb) power, suitably translated from original Farsi, Oops, Persian language as, "Fat chance."

    Note: The first three letter word stands for Military-Industrial Fat cats forcing their will upon the US administration. The second word stands for: "When pigs fly and the Hell freezes over."

    May Allah be praised, (PBUH).

    ...and I am Sid Harth@arabuhuru.org

  • John Gabriel, I wish I had never been born.
    I don't think the US should fight any more Jewish wars. As long as Israel behaves itself, there is no threat from Iran. It is also a lie that Iran will ever attack Israel without provocation.

  • JoSCh
    Why are you qualifying wars we shouldn't fight as Jewish?  You think it's ok for us to fight Catholic wars?  Muslim wars?  Flying Spaghetti Monster wars?

    I don't think the US should fight any more wars.
    I don't think the US should fight any more religious wars.
    I don't think the US should fight any more wars for foreign countries.

    All ways to say what you mean without sounding like an anti Semite.  Because obviously you aren't one.  Nobody is...


  • John Gabriel, I wish I had never been born.
    Iran is not a threat to Israel by any stretch. I don't believe any country surrounding Israel is a threat of any kind. Only a fool would believe otherwise.

    As far as calling it a Jewish war, this is not anti Semitic. The problem lies in your interpretation. There are many books that have been published with this very title: The Jewish Wars.

  • JoSCh
    I didn't say that calling a war a Jewish war was.  I was implying that you are though.  That you chose not to answer why you called it a Jewish war confirms it in my mind.  Enjoy your bigotry, I look forward to reading it!

    Saying "Only a fool would believe otherwise" is condescending when used in any context.  Enjoy your hypocrisy while you're at it, prick.

  • Gayyy
    John Gabriel is an Iranian Gayboy

  • JASH Just A Section Hiker
    Listen to what the President of Iran says and then make up your mind.  Unless the English translations are faulty, he want to eliminate/liquidate Israel.  The last time we ignored such a threat we were in WWII.  I think we need to take President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at his word.

    Many of his type say something in their native tongue and then release a westernized version.  I think he means what he says and is brave enough to speak his mind.

    We need to listen and then do what is in our best interest.

  • John Gabriel, I wish I had never been born.
    That's your most serious problem - you don't listen.

    And when you are listening, you hear only that which you want to hear.

    Iran has never threatened to eliminate Israel. Never. Iranian President has stated that Israel will be wiped of the map but did not say Iran would do it. Very big difference.

  • terry513
    Yes they have threatened to eliminate Israel. Once they have a bomb big enough to reach Israel, I think they will use it with little provocation. You must be Iranian.

  • Gary McDermott
    you must be persian, it is the only culture that I have encountered that thinks your statements are valid arguments and not just avoiding the actual question

  • John Gabriel, I wish I had never been born.
    How can I be Iranian if my English is so much better than yours?

    And how about your statements - what makes you think they are valid? I could resort to giving you a few verbal slaps but I'll control my temper.

  • Gayyy
    super gayness eludes

  • Gary McDermott
    Direct experience with people born in Iran and living in the US. I have found that in any situation they enjoy rhetoric more than building solutions. It is an enjoyable conversational style in an informal setting, but it can be maddening when working to complete a project in a timely manner

  • John Gabriel, I wish I had never been born.
    Well, I must be brutally honest, I have never worked with Iranians but I once lived with an Iranian family. They were really nice.

    I would like to visit Iran someday. Saw a program on KQED by chance last week. Iran has a very interesting culture and the people are very hard working. Tehran appears to be a very nice city.

    So, perhaps I shall be able to visit some future time when relations have been restored with the US. It won't happen as long as republican baboons run the government.

  • Gary McDermott
    the people that I have known were ex-pats who mostly missed their country but had, um, difficulties with the current government

    as much as you or I may complain about the US government, the current Iranian regime seems to be more religious, more oppressive of their own people and more determined to maintain a tight grip on their power...

    but that's just me, you may see it different

  • Gayyy
    John Gabriel is an Iranian Gayboy

  • Magik13
    Iran is not a threat to Israel? What planet do you live on? Iran regularly overtly threatens Israel and just the other day threatened to attack Israe. Akmidinajad himself said that Israel needed to be disposed of. Iran and its evil false religious regime needs to be dismantled and destroyed. That day is coming soon.

  • John Gabriel, I wish I had never been born.
    Liar.

  • Gayyy
    John Gabriel is an Iranian Gayboy

  • Mr. Neutron, Mr Neutron! The most dangerous and terrifying man in the world! The man with the strength of an army! The wisdom of all the scholars in history! The man who had the power to destroy the world. Mr Neutron. No one knows what strange and distant planet he came from, or where he was going to!... Wherever he went, terror and destruction were sure to follow. Mr Neutron! The man whose incredible power has made him the most feared man of all time... waits for his moment to destroy this little world utterly!
    Israel attacks other countries all the time - and they threaten Iran all the time.

    The whole UN Charter gets tossed in the trash if a country can attack another country because it "might" be doing something...

  • The Sanity Inspector, Just another minor blogger who doesn't realize that blogging is dead.
    " I don't believe any country surrounding Israel is a threat of any kind."

    Your belief is wrong, then.  Do not despise the study of history.  And "provocation"?  The very existence of Israel is a provocation to the mullahs.

  • John Gabriel, I wish I had never been born.
    Did you read my comment properly? I claim Iran is not a threat to Israel.

    You could say that Iran's existence is also a provocation to the Jews. They don't want another nuclear power in the region.

  • Gayyy
    John Gabriel is an Iranian Gayboy

  • kml9
    Lol that is rich johnny boy. "I don't believe any country surrounding Israel is a threat of any kind" Ask Saudi Arabia, a muslim nation, if they share this same sentiment as you. They are very concerned about the threat Iran poses. This is not a Jewish problem, it's a middle east problem.  Everyone involved shares some culpability, the degree of which is up for debate. Just because someone writes a book called the "Jewish Wars" doesn't mean squat.

  • John Gabriel, I wish I had never been born.
    It is very much a Jewish problem. The reference to the books, was to counter your claim that the phrase "Jewish War" is anti Semitic.

    The diminutive "Johnny Boy" is a condescending term used in your context. Don't get me started because you won't be able to handle what I can dish out.

  • Gary McDermott
    Iran is developing ballistic missiles and nuclear warheads...

    how is this not a problem for any country, that Iran has denied the existence of?

  • Mr. Neutron, Mr Neutron! The most dangerous and terrifying man in the world! The man with the strength of an army! The wisdom of all the scholars in history! The man who had the power to destroy the world. Mr Neutron. No one knows what strange and distant planet he came from, or where he was going to!... Wherever he went, terror and destruction were sure to follow. Mr Neutron! The man whose incredible power has made him the most feared man of all time... waits for his moment to destroy this little world utterly!
    Suuure.... Iran is developing nuclear warheads.

    You "know" this because Fox News screamed it just yesterday...

    Are you one of the morons that claim Iraq "hid" their nuclear weapons in the desert, or in Syria, or maybe under the border with Jordan, right before they were invaded by the most powerful military on the planet?  Because that's exactly what you spend $billions on nuclear weapons for - to hide them before you're attacked.

  • G. Levine
    If you deny I exist-then its not a problem. In your mind-I don't exist. It is true by its very nature. No exist. No problem.

  • John Gabriel, I wish I had never been born.
    And so? Israel already has them. So does the USA. Iran has never denied the existence of Israel. They don't recognize Israel - two different things. Northern Cyprus is not recognized either.

    Israel has also stated that Iran can be wiped from the map.

    So tell me, how is it a problem?

  • Gayyy
    the problem is John Gabriel is an Iranian Gayboy

  • Conor Partin
    "Iran will target all US military bases around the world".  That'll endear us to you.  None of us want war with Iran, but if they think they can get away with attacking US military property, they're severely wrong, and they underestimate the power of a country of 312 million people and the best prepared military in the world.

  • Justnfree
    Misquoting, Iran will target all US military bases around the world if US attacks Iran. Well they were prudence enough not to consider sending drone to their air space as an act of war that deserve retaliation. So what are you whining about? your army caught spying on them and you are upset?

  • vperk9
    It seems amazing to me that the commenters are concerned with technological issues rather
    than with the geopolitics involved.  When the U.S. turned a blind eye to the nuclear weapons
    developments of its clients, Israel and Pakistan, should we not be asking ourselves why it is
    so determined to portray Iran as a 'threat'?  Despite the fact that the U.S. has no hard evidence
    of an Iranian weapons program, we continue this propaganda war against it.  M. el Baradei, Nobel Prize winner and former head of the IAEA,
    in his "Age of Deception," gives a very candid and balanced assessment of this question.
        Historically, Iran has more reason to be unhappy with the U.S. than we have to be unhappy
    with Iran.  In 1953, our CIA overthrew their only democratically elected prime minister, M.
    Mossadegh, for the sake of access to Iranian oil; we then installed our puppet ruler, the Shah,
    and sold him U.S. weapons while he ran an entirely repressive regime via his secret service,
    SAVAK.  Our present 'problem' with Iran arose only when the Iranians reclaimed their rights
    to decide on their own government by overthrowing the Shah. We are also ignoring the sectarian issues in the region--namely that Saudi Arabia is a Sunni country whereas Iran is
    Shia.  We should ask ourselves why we are completely allied with Saudi Arabia, whose rulers
    are even more repressive than Iran's (S.A. also supplied the terrorists of 9/11) while constantly
    painting Iran as a threat to Israel and to western interests.  It seems to me that the propaganda
    war against Iran is very similar to the one GWBush and the Neocons ran against Iraq when
    they were preparing the U.S. public for the destruction of Iraq.  Another war in the Middle East,
    however, will bankrupt the U.S. and will have horrendous consequences for the world economy
    which is dependent on uninterrupted oil supplies passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

  • John Gabriel, I wish I had never been born.
    The Jews do not care about the Goim. They are self-serving. This perceived Iranian threat is about oil for the US and about Hezbollah/Hamas for Israel.

    The Russians and Chinese should defend Iran. Enough is enough.

  • Gayyy
    Enough with your gayness

  • Last Dominion
    racist/anti-semitic much? You sound like that twerp Ahmadinejad. Your unfounded hatred of people you dont even know only displays your ignorance.

  • John Gabriel, I wish I had never been born.
    My unfounded hatred?! Dimwit!  What about your hatred for Iran? You stupid little ignoramus.

  • Gayyy
    John Gabriel is an Iranian Gayboy

  • PosterBoi
    It's great the media tells Iran what a blow this is to us. We were clearly trespassing and if a drone from Iran was flying around here, we would jam it and take it down also. We need to keep out of these countries or they will follow through with their threats. If we leave the Middle East, then they can proceed to continue killing each other, so we won't have to. All they know is violence, suppression and chaos. Let them live that way as they have for thousands of years. They will eventually decimate themselves. What makes us the world police?

  • John Gabriel, I wish I had never been born.
    The Jews don't like any competition in the Middle East. The "Iranian threat" is a lie.

  • JoSCh
    Them damn Jews and their monopoly on monopolies!

    Are you saying that Iran isn't a threat to Israel and/or the west?  Seriously?

    I don't think they're much of a threat to us now or in the near future, but they are without a doubt attempting to make nuclear weapons, they are a radically unstable government, and like pretty much everyone else in the ME they are a real threat to Israel.

  • greysave
    You're a blatant racist

  • John Gabriel, I wish I had never been born.
    And you are a blatant idiot.

  • Gayyy
    and John Gabriel is an Iranian Gayboy

  • baronjorel
    It is a fake and I cannot understand why you people keep boasting on the part of Iran. It is simply a PR ploy on the part of a tyrannical theocracy.

  • JoSCh
    The US admitted we lost one, and say that this is likely it.  Conspiracy theories are way better when they aren't debunked before they're started.  And when they contain lizard people.

    EDIT: See Robert Carters theory left at the same time as yours. WAAAAAY better.

  • Gary McDermott
    the first victim of war is the truth

  • JoSCh
    Judging by the rise of conspiracy theorists like baronjorel, I can only assume that rationality is the second?

  • Gary McDermott
    rationality went out the window decades ago, you only have to look as far as the cold-war soviet baiting and promises of mutual assured destruction that had every American worried about nuclear death raining from above to see that

    This is firstly about Iran keeping their populace in line by promoting the idea of some foreign threat that wants to destroy their country and secondly about the US not ever wanting to deal with the current Iranian government on any sort of equal basis, kind of like Cuba and Castro

    This relationship is in a holding pattern and I do not see it changing soon. IMHO, any change would be really bad for Iran and momentarily difficult for the US

  • Magik13
    Iran is a sick, twisted, dysfunctional, and evil nation that needs to be dealt with in a severe manner. Iran needs to get destroyed. The karma of the Ayotollahs and evil dictators of Iran is stacked against the evil regime. Israel and the USA need to quickly dispose of Iran and get rid of the religious regime and the evil government. Iran needs to pay and will pay...its only a matter of time.

  • John Gabriel, I wish I had never been born.
    Little Jew boy being anti-Persianic? Tsk. tsk.

    "Israel is a sick, twisted, dysfunctional, and evil nation that needs to be dealt with in a severe manner. Israel needs to get destroyed. The karma of the Rabbis and evil dictators of Israel is stacked against the evil regime. Iran and the Russia need to quickly dispose of Israel and get rid of the religious regime and the evil government. Israel needs to pay and will pay...its only a matter of time." - Magik13

    You know nothing about Iran or its people yet you spew out your republican ignorance without any shame.

  • Gayyy
    John Gabriel is an Iranian Gayboy

  • Ben
    The two relevant points are that Iran has technology that can detect and jam stealth aircraft acquired from Russia, and they have in the past invited Russia to examine downed aircraft. So the question is; what is the net impact of our obsession with Iran? When we employ our most sensitive assets to indulge in our paranoia regarding Iran, we provide much stronger enemies with information that seriously damages our security. This story isn't about Iran, it's about Russia, and possibly China.

    We definitely do NOT have our eye on the ball when we're wincing and flinching over unconfirmed speculation that Iran may be trying to develop a bomb. In the big picture, Iran isn't even a minor threat to the US.

  • JoSCh
    So you're willing to stand behind these two statements as fact?  In the same post?

    Iran has technology that can detect and jam stealth aircraft
    Iran isn't even a minor threat to the US.

    Not that I necessarily believe the first at all or believe that Iran is much of a threat to the US, but they're a threat.  I'm just curious why you're stating propaganda and wild theory as fact.

  • Mr. Neutron, Mr Neutron! The most dangerous and terrifying man in the world! The man with the strength of an army! The wisdom of all the scholars in history! The man who had the power to destroy the world. Mr Neutron. No one knows what strange and distant planet he came from, or where he was going to!... Wherever he went, terror and destruction were sure to follow. Mr Neutron! The man whose incredible power has made him the most feared man of all time... waits for his moment to destroy this little world utterly!
    The U.S. lost a drone - Iran has it now, and it's not a crumpled, melted heap of metal.
    You didn't even bother to attempt an explanation.  Fail.

    As to "a threat" - so what.  The point made was that Russia and China are both *much* bigger threats - and they both have hundreds and thousands of nuclear weapons.

    In Comments, you can't shout down the guest and turn off their mic, like on Fox News - you have to back up your lame opinions.

  • Dr. GoreNo
    Clearly the military did repetitive patterns, simply put a net in its path.   Good JOB BOYS

  • harrykuheim
    This shows how much better Pilotless aircraft are...think what would be going on if the Iranians also had a Pilot in custody to use as a hostage.

  • Mr. Neutron, Mr Neutron! The most dangerous and terrifying man in the world! The man with the strength of an army! The wisdom of all the scholars in history! The man who had the power to destroy the world. Mr Neutron. No one knows what strange and distant planet he came from, or where he was going to!... Wherever he went, terror and destruction were sure to follow. Mr Neutron! The man whose incredible power has made him the most feared man of all time... waits for his moment to destroy this little world utterly!
    A pilot wouldn't have been caught when the "control signals" were jammed.

  • harrykuheim
    Ask Gary Powers and John McCain and the hundreds of other Pilots who were used as Political Pawns by N. Viet Nam how they got caught.


  • Mr. Neutron, Mr Neutron! The most dangerous and terrifying man in the world! The man with the strength of an army! The wisdom of all the scholars in history! The man who had the power to destroy the world. Mr Neutron. No one knows what strange and distant planet he came from, or where he was going to!... Wherever he went, terror and destruction were sure to follow. Mr Neutron! The man whose incredible power has made him the most feared man of all time... waits for his moment to destroy this little world utterly!
    McCain was shot down while bombing civilians in Hanoi:
    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/new...

    McCain parachuted out, but his plane was destroyed upon crashing.

    This drone was not shot down.

  • Robert Carter
    This is a lot more serious than Iran thinks.  The mission was to let it come down.  Leaving telltale signatures by it's exhaust plumes and internal GPS units.  Most likely, is that the crucial components are gone and fried.  However, in a seek and destroy mode this is the best possible scenario.  Yep, let them dismantle it to their labs, piece by piece, and they should then abandonment those spots as the bombs come.

  • terry513
    yep, if we didn't know where their labs were located, we will when they take the pieces back to examine them. Then, send in the heat seeking missiles and send Iran a big kiss.

  • emrsonbiggins
    I like it!! When I first heard the reports, I thought to myself that it would be clever to send one down to smokescreen a hidden agenda. Ain't political intrigue fun?

  • Jeri
    If the US doesn't want these 'craft captured then they should build them with an enemy distruct app. After all, these things aren't autonomous; someone is controlling them. If they're brought down intact, boom! No more drone. Then this kind of show wouldn't be happening.

  • RoodlyPhilogene
    How about not flying over other countries' airspace without permission? This would solve everything.

  • tony sturzl
    The lack of a self-destruct mechanism on this craft suggests that it's sensor load is near its max lifting capability or range capacity. Many high tech weapons systems do have self-destruct mechanisms. However, like this article, I wonder if the aircraft was not jammed or controlled remotely. If you remember, a virus was recently found in the Predator drone software. While the virus probably was only a keylogger as reported, one must wonder a) how the virus got past security systems b) the real unreported or unknown function of the virus and c) what attackers learned from the viral exploitation of a drone system.

  • Philip Rutter
    "only a keylogger" would make one think that limited its capabilities- on the contrary, a keylogger looks clumsy because it records- everything; too much information.  Its strength is- it records everything.  Any person smart enough- can mine that information for- everything.  This one was also highly resistant to eradication- another sign of sophistication.  Months of keylogging- and that's what it was- would provide plenty of information to attempt hacking.

  • bhound56
    1. Don't think that load limit is an acceptable reason - they should sacrifice something to get this critical capability on board. 
    2.  If jammed, the logic should override on board and self-destruct. 
    3. Virus might be a reason, but would have to be more than a keylogger.  I would think that all of the drones would have been checked out after this virus episode.

  • Gary McDermott
    I remember when a US surveillance plane went down off the coast of China in the nineties. The crew used fire axes to chop up electronic gear and jettisoned it before landing

    I find it very difficult to believe that the same mindset is not focused on the potential loss of a surveillance drone

  • terry513
    Iran will target all US military bases around the world," per the Iranian Kossari. He also said Iran's response would be terrifying.  Well, the US response of shock and awe is not too bad either. I wonder how stupid the Iranians are if they think we will just let them target all of our bases and not do anything? I really hope they are smarter than they look and act.

  • Abdel Masih
    nice that folks can comment on here,unlike the Stars and Stripes they bar you from commenting if they think your comment isn,t 100% pro military.
    I think America can live with a nuclear Iran,look at Pakistan.Too many war mongers and politicians who worship Israel and given money by the military industrial complex,let the politicians be first when they attack Iran,it be a tragic mistake.

  • Peet_Moss
    Who needs a missile program when the US just sent Iran the prototype for their stealth nuclear payload fleet.  If they have the brains to jam the com link and let the thing run out of gas, I'm sure they are gearing up to not just make copies of this machine, but up-sizing the design for piloted bombers.  Well don................Wait, this couldn't be used as an excuse to go to war, could it?

  • gmat74
    Wow Iran has one drone. So does John Travolta HaHa We love you John. I say we sweep the floor and burn the trash. anyway BFD. I have a wrist rocket , I can shoot down Iranian drones all day HaHa.

  • John
    No self destruct? REALLY?

  • superalien4peace
    Zionism is causing so many wars in the world in addition to dragging the world's economy down the drain. Iran is on the other hand a peaceful country whose military capabilities are modest and only for defense. Suffice to say, Iran has not attacked any other nation in the past 300 years since the battle of Karnal. Israel is an occupying force and should not be compared with Iran. It is amazing to see that countries that were supporting Saddam against Iran are all again making an alliance against Iranians for another war. US and alot of Zionist companies are selling tens of billions of dollars of weapons to Saudi Arabia and UAE in preparation of another Zionist war against Iran.

  • JASH Just A Section Hiker
    Why so little news on this MAJOR story?:

  • Last Dominion
    Wow. They basically caught an unarmed reconnaissance glider.  Whoop de do. How is that an act of hostility? We should send a huge hot air balloon with an obscene message on it, and see if that qualifies as an "act of hostility" as well (maybe something phallic).

  • Joseph Sheehy
    Bhahaha!

  • rboblee
    Sometimes planning to "lose one" is a better way of "sending a message"
    to a potential foe who has blocked all normal diplomatic channels and
    entered a self-reinforcing paranoid schizophrenic "fugue".

    Sharing that
    you are vulnerable may be more important than "playing invulnerable":
    Sometimes, the way to gain trust - is to share the pain of walking
    alone. A pain that the other does not know -- yet must learn to appreciate, consider, and weigh in advance of rash actions.

    See this as a door opening to "an understanding" and let the
    diplomacy dance begin.

    In times like these, the "George Smiley's" of the world don't panic: They let events unfold.

  • robthom
    Lol, murikans and their war toys.

    I suppose now that that one has been compromised the taxpayers will have to pony up a couple more trillion to build a new "better" version.

    I think I'm going to stop paying taxes.

  • G. Levine
    My $500.00 Apple iPhone has technology that allows me to find it if its lost. One would conclude that this Lockheed-Martin RQ-170 would have a similar capability. So, Iran, if this thing is real...I wouldn't stand too close to it. It's big brother is probably going to stop by. Oh, and Iran, it took the US three years to produce the atom bomb from scratch--you've been working on one (with all the hard stuff figured out for you) for how long? Good luck. I don't think you can do it. Self-destruct? I also have to believe we thought of this. Why not send a few "trick" drones over to Iran. Let them capture them. Then when they are doing their "Death To America" thing on Al Jazzera...BOOM! Everyone in the blast radius is turned into ground meat. We still haven't learned from the 1970's that you can not play ball with these folks. They only understand one thing.

  • Peter Greene
    There is an 'its/it's' error in the second sentence of this piece.

    As such, I skip the rest of it. Hope I didn't miss anything!

  • James Choie
    Its a freaking parade float. The Iranians are way too stupid to shoot down this drone.

  • robthom
    Maybe, but murikans are also plenty stupid enough to just crash it over the fence too.

  • emrsonbiggins
    or...are they? hmmmm?

  • Pee_K0
    The thing that makes me question the validity of Iran's "capture" of this drone is the color. There are no planes or drones in the US military inventory that are a beige color. This being said, I believe that this may be a mock-up used by Iran as propaganda rather than them actually acquiring a stealthy craft.

  • Gary McDermott
    I would suspect beige (more properly khaki/dirt) from the top so that any airborne observer would have a hard time seeing it from above

  • emrsonbiggins
    Except the military issued a statement saying they think it the one we lost. But still, is it possible that this whole thing is a ruse from both sides?

  • mag2
    Surely flying drones over Iran violates their airspace and it gives Iran plenty of ammunition to use against U.S. policies that are directed against it.  We shouldn't be spying on Iran; if Iran is a threat to anybody world powers should take a hand collectively.  Spy aircraft has been shot down before. The U2 incident over Russia during the Cold War period and intelligence aircraft that was downed over China fairly recently come to mind.  Neither of these two incidents helped us internationally.  Iran will eventually fall by its own weight as will China.  They are both false systems.  They don't need any help from the U.S.

  • Bill Burki
    Personally, I can't take much of this very seriously.
    From the pictures and video, it is hard to believe that it should 'crash' in such pristine condition.Perhaps, the wings may have broken off cleanly and were crudely welded back into position.   Why in some of the video segments the person speaking appears to be in a meat locker, because of his breath vaporizing and in others it happens to neither, is also a question. Propaganda and mis-information from both sides, seem more probable to me. What really happened and why, we'll never know, so I'll move on.

  • Lauren
    Big deal. The Iranians, Russians, and Chinese know about the spy technology and might be able to jam it for a couple of months. Next year, some other military technology will come out that makes this drone obsolete, just to stay ahead of the Russians and Chinese anyway. Seems like finding an iPhone prototype in a bar to me. The secrets are leaked and are interesting until the phone goes on sale and everyone has one, and you know Apple is already developing another, better one anyway.

  • MadDogandtheIrishmen
    Any craft like this with advanced technology should absolutely have two methods of SELF DESTRUCTION just for cases like this.  One is electronic..... software that would self destroy algorithms and the other is purely mechanical in the event of electronic failure.  The aircraft should have self destroyed mechanically in a case like this where control from the main unit is lost.  WHY WAS THIS NOT DESIGNED TO DO THIS?   It is obvious that this should be so.

  • quatra
    Once again the fat boy with the goofy expresion has egg on his face.

  • The Sanity Inspector, Just another minor blogger who doesn't realize that blogging is dead.
    All military advantage is temporary, anyway.  But this is really dismaying, that China or Russia will now have this technology.

  • Bob Newsome
    Shooting down a plane without damaging it. That is pretty advanced technology. Was it a force field that captured it and let it down gently?

  • Mr. Neutron, Mr Neutron! The most dangerous and terrifying man in the world! The man with the strength of an army! The wisdom of all the scholars in history! The man who had the power to destroy the world. Mr Neutron. No one knows what strange and distant planet he came from, or where he was going to!... Wherever he went, terror and destruction were sure to follow. Mr Neutron! The man whose incredible power has made him the most feared man of all time... waits for his moment to destroy this little world utterly!
    It's a small drone, not a plane - and it wasn't "shot down", it was captured.
    A fighter jet could jam control signals, match velocities and grab it with a steel cable - no "force fields" needed.

    Refueling pilots do this maneuver all the time.
    The turbulence from being captured probably ripped off the wings, which were recovered later.

  • Jerry Kathnelson
    I'm really surprised that the US didn't forsee the possibility of this and build-in some type of self-destruct mechanism that they could trigger. Perhaps they did but it may still be transmitting useful data?

  • Mr. Neutron, Mr Neutron! The most dangerous and terrifying man in the world! The man with the strength of an army! The wisdom of all the scholars in history! The man who had the power to destroy the world. Mr Neutron. No one knows what strange and distant planet he came from, or where he was going to!... Wherever he went, terror and destruction were sure to follow. Mr Neutron! The man whose incredible power has made him the most feared man of all time... waits for his moment to destroy this little world utterly!
    Unless the U.S. has invented some "subspace radio" using tachyons, I'm sure the Iranians have the drone in an all-metal hangar that blocks any EM signals getting in or out of the drone - forget about any "useful data".

    Maybe future drones will have self-destruct explosives, but that adds weight, complexity and cost - plus the possibility that it will blow up by accident.  And how much explosive is needed to melt all the electronics so "The Enemy" can't examine them?  The NTSB recovers an awful lot from downed aircraft...

  • n
    It's not about you can see.  It's more about what you can't.  That craft, if it's real, normally flies how high?  It looks in very good condition.  Kind of makes you feel something happened on purpose.  Oh Oh.  Do you hear a ticking or beeping?  Can you say,"Boom?" OR  "Could you speak a little louder?"  OR  "Go ahead, use this technology."

  • Mr. Neutron, Mr Neutron! The most dangerous and terrifying man in the world! The man with the strength of an army! The wisdom of all the scholars in history! The man who had the power to destroy the world. Mr Neutron. No one knows what strange and distant planet he came from, or where he was going to!... Wherever he went, terror and destruction were sure to follow. Mr Neutron! The man whose incredible power has made him the most feared man of all time... waits for his moment to destroy this little world utterly!
    Dream on.

    Then look up "SNAFU".

  • bhound56
    I don't understand why there wasn't a self-destruct capability on this piece of critical warfare hardware.

Reactions

Trackback URL

Photos of the day

12.09.11 »
Become a fan! Follow us! YouTube Link up with us! See our feeds!
Posted by at

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)