Iran military shoots down U.S. drone: state TV

[Gerald]

Iran's military said on Sunday it had shot down a U.S. reconnaissance drone aircraft in eastern Iran, a military source told state television."Iran's military has downed an intruding RQ-170 American drone in eastern Iran," Iran's Arabic-language Al Alam state television network quoted the unnamed source as saying."The spy drone, which has been downed with little damage, was seized by the Iranian armed forces."Iran shot down the drone at a time when it is trying to contain foreign reaction to the storming of the British embassy in Tehran on Tuesday, shortly after London announced that it would impose sanctions on Iran's central bank in connection with Iran's controversial nuclear enrichment program.Britain evacuated its diplomatic staff from Iran and expelled Iranian diplomats in London in retaliation, and several other EU members recalled their ambassadors from Tehran.The attack dragged Iran's relations with Europe to a long-time low.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/04/us-iran-usa-drone-idUSTRE7B30CQ20111204

Note: Sun Dec 4, 2011 9:53am EST

[Blood_splat]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/64/Drones_B_and_B.jpg

It was just Beavis and Butthead

[Gerald]

http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/4996/usdrone101.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/140/usdrone101.jpg/)

http://img543.imageshack.us/img543/8035/cd1b474586dc40f5bc4dbb1.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/543/cd1b474586dc40f5bc4dbb1.jpg/)

[Skybird]

http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/4996/usdrone101.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/140/usdrone101.jpg/)

That is no RQ-170.

This is:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YniKlbPh29k/SynMMvepVjI/AAAAAAAAGLU/FjWiBj56Vp8/s400/RQ-170-Sentinel-beast-of-Kandahar.jpg

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YniKlbPh29k/SynMNaqXzUI/AAAAAAAAGLk/oFUeS-3eEfY/s1600/RQ-170-Sentinel-picture.jpg

http://www.welt.de/multimedia/archive/01520/drohne_1_DW_Politi_1520936z.jpg
Foto: Lockheed Martin/Wikimedia Commons (http://www.welt.de/politik/ausland/article13750492/Irans-Militaer-meldet-Abschuss-einer-US-Drohne.html#) Grafische Darstellung der Drohne RQ-170

[Gerald]

Sky,has not the opposite either, and did not say what model it was "smartass" :D I take random image from google, :yep:

[Skybird]

Sky,has not the opposite either, and did not say what model it was "smartass" :D I take random image from google, :yep:

Your quote:


Iran's military said on Sunday it had shot down a U.S. reconnaissance drone aircraft in eastern Iran, a military source told state television."Iran's military has downed an intruding RQ-170 American drone in eastern Iran," (...)

:O:

[nikimcbee]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/64/Drones_B_and_B.jpg

It was just Beavis and Butthead


:har:

He's touching his joystick.:har:

[Gerald]

Your quote:



:O:Yes I know...but as I said, RANDOM IMAGE FROM GOOGLE,although I saw was the model name was in news....its true,:|\\

[Jimbuna]

Your quote:

:O:

Sky for the win...made from original German technology :O:


https://www.fiddlersgreen.net/aircraft/Horten-Ho229/IMAGES/Horten-Ho-229-Flying-Wing-Fighter-Bomber-Rendering.jpg

[Skybird]

However, right now this is still unconfirmed news. It cannot be ruled out that it is a staged event by Iran trying to intimidate the West or to divide it, by now claiming that it will retaliate outside Iranian borders, internationally. This wpould serve as a reminder that Europe would not be safe from Iranian retaliation in case of an Israeli-Amerian attack.

Not that I would change my min d due to that.

The German general state attorney recently launched investigations into intel clues that Iran plans to strike American facilities on German soil. Amongst the targets suspected is the American hospital in Landstuhl. They claim to not have found anything so far. But that means nothing, since it should not be taken for granted that they would publish such clueas or evidence right now.

The german chan celor also has finally willed to deliver anothe rdolphin submarine to Israel, after having blocked the deal for one year while demanding the Israelis to make concessions to the Palestinians. It was a blockade move by Merkel herself. The unfreezing by Israel of 100 million in tax funds for the Palestinians, and the growing threat of war in the region may have changed Merkels mind. However, as was written by German commentators, it is a serious breaking of a taboo in German policy, because never before has Germany ever linked security policies on behalf of Israeli interest with Israel'S status in diplomatic relations or inner political events. With Germany being Israel'S only supplier of submarines (which are assumed to be potent to carry Israel'S nuclear deterrant weapons in form of seal-klaucnhed medium range ballisric missiles, the Germany blocking of the deal no bdoubt has rang the alarm bells in Jeruslem. I expect them to try to form new military ties with somebody else so that their nuclear retaliation capacity is not at risk if Germany does refuse to update the aging fleet of already existing Dolphins.

[Gerald]

NEEDLESS TO SAY!

[Oberon]

He's German, the nation of smartarses ;) Or as we in the Lolwaffles like to call them Klugscheisser (waits for smartarse correction and I know it hasn't got the little B thing, but my keyboard doesn't have one).

I wonder how much of the wreckage came down intact, that drone is fairly new IIRC so the wreckage will make good selling material to Pakistan and China, if Pakistan hasn't already shot one down from Afghanistan.

[Oberon]

Sky for the win...made from original German technology :O:


https://www.fiddlersgreen.net/aircraft/Horten-Ho229/IMAGES/Horten-Ho-229-Flying-Wing-Fighter-Bomber-Rendering.jpg

I love that aircraft. The Horten brothers had some fantastic designs.

[Schroeder]

He's German, the nation of smartarses ;) Or as we in the Lolwaffles like to call them Klugscheisser (waits for smartarse correction and I know it hasn't got the little B thing, but my keyboard doesn't have one).

Actually the spelling is OK for a non German Keyboard. If you still want to correct it however here is your "B thing": ß
Just copy/paste.:know:

[Jimbuna]

I love that aircraft. The Horten brothers had some fantastic designs.

Rgr that....if the Iranians make a habit of firing missiles into the sky I can envisage a few of the launch sites being terminated...with or without their agreement :DL

[TFatseas]

Somehow, I doubt the Iranian claims are correct.:hmmm:

[Jimbuna]

Well as of 25 minutes ago the US still hadn't responded.

The Iranians did instigate a similar claim in July.


In July, Iranian state-run media quoted an Iranian lawmaker who claimed that Iran shot down a U.S.spy aircraft near the Fordu nuclear site. Iran's Revolutionary Guard later refuted the report.



http://www.voanews.com/english/news/middle-east/Iran-Says-it-Shot-Down-US-Spy-Drone-134989708.html

[Oberon]

http://images.cheezburger.com/completestore/2011/12/4/0b395d12-a11f-4076-b27d-5589a896ea29.jpg

[soopaman2]

I want to see a picture of the wreckage with some kind of American markings.

Otherwise I am going to assume it was Israeli, since they use our equipment anyways.

Not saying good or bad, just seems that monkey ears Mahmoud has been trying to find a cassus belli on Israel since he came to power.

American meddling can certainly "justify" the measures him and his people dream of taking.

But Ghaddaffi was a much bigger threat? Or was he easier?

Wait until we leave Iraq, then he will really get bold

[Jimbuna]

Wait until we leave Iraq, then he will really get bold

Poissibly the moment the US, Israel et al are waiting of :03:

[MH]

However, right now this is still unconfirmed news. It cannot be ruled out that it is a staged event by Iran trying to intimidate the West or to divide it, by now claiming that it will retaliate outside Iranian borders, internationally. This wpould serve as a reminder that Europe would not be safe from Iranian retaliation in case of an Israeli-Amerian attack.


I would say that its should be more for domestic purposes.
With all the misfortunes they need to show some success and initiative.

The german chan celor also has finally willed to deliver anothe rdolphin submarine to Israel, after having blocked the deal for one year while demanding the Israelis to make concessions to the Palestinians. It was a blockade move by Merkel herself. The unfreezing by Israel of 100 million in tax funds for the Palestinians

I don't believe so.


.......

[Skybird]

NATO gets quoted with saying that it could be a drone that got lost over Western Afghanistan last week.

The loss of a drone in general now can be seen as "confirmed", I guess.

It's some extremely sensible piece of hightech the Iranians got their hands on. A present from heaven, so to speak. China, Russia will be willing to pay a lot to get a glance at it. The Iranians also will love to examine it themselves.

[soopaman2]

http://images.cheezburger.com/completestore/2011/12/4/0b395d12-a11f-4076-b27d-5589a896ea29.jpg

:har:

Standing ovation from the imperial guards. All of whom know about knee wounds.

[Skybird]

I don't believe so.


It became clear that Israel would not change its' settlement policy in Jerusalem (even less so when considering that the new blocks that Germany complained about are located in a part of Jerusalem that would fall to Israel anyway if that controversial deal the Europeans expect Israel to accept, would become a valid treaty), which was the major object of German criticism. Building that boat, with over a third of the price payed by the German state/tax payer, means plenty of jobs being maintained, and so that "symbolic" act by the Israelis may have served as an opportunity to escape a deadlock.

Also, this year saw German arms sales going booming. The government has silently eased many former restrictions for military goods. This year's arms sales by Germany hit an all-time record. It is seen as a fundamental, drastic change in Germany's arms and military platforms sales policies.

[MH]

It became clear that Israel would not change its' settlement policy in Jerusalem (even less so when considering that the new blocks that Germany complained about are located in a part of Jerusalem that would fall to Israel anyway if that controversial deal the Europeans expect Israel to accept, would become a valid treaty), which was the major object of German criticism. Building that boat, with over a third of the price payed by the German state/tax payer, means plenty of jobs being maintained, and so that "symbolic" act by the Israelis may have served as an opportunity to escape a deadlock.

Also, this year saw German arms sales going booming. The government has silently eased many former restrictions for military goods. This year's arms sales by Germany hit an all-time record. It is seen as a fundamental, drastic change in Germany's arms and military platforms sales policies.

I believe that this money would go to PA anyway.
Netanyahu got a lot of criticism over this move domestically as well....
This was more of a warning of things to come if PA keeps on climbing the tree but at this stage it still makes no sense.
Netanyahu is not stupid even though he has a lot of morons in his coalition.
For Merkel it might be just an opportunity....or whatever.

Anyway...

[Skybird]

Damn, that drone the Iranians presented, looks almost intact.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-16098562

So much for keeping secret high technology.

[Jimbuna]

'Cyber Warfare' eh?

Payback for the computerised attack on their nuclear progamme?

You always run the risk of losses when flying over enemy/hostile territory.

TBH I'm not so sure I believe them...could be a model :hmmm:

[Ducimus]

Obligatory.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8-kNPKNCtg

[Oberon]

Damn, that drone the Iranians presented, looks almost intact.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-16098562

So much for keeping secret high technology.

The PRC and Pakistan will already have men on the way. Well...it was a nice secret while it lasted...

[Agiel7]

If it's that "intact," I'm more inclined to believe that the real drone was more totaled than the Iranians had hoped, and then built a 1:1 scale model of it using Wikipedia as their reference to save face.

[mookiemookie]

The PRC and Pakistan will already have men on the way. Well...it was a nice secret while it lasted...

According to what I've read, it was specifically made without using unique technology. This is owing to the fact that it was designed to operate over hostile territory and one was almost certainly going to be downed eventually.

[Takeda Shingen]

http://images.cheezburger.com/completestore/2011/12/4/0b395d12-a11f-4076-b27d-5589a896ea29.jpg

:haha:

That is hilarious.

[vienna]

Possible it's a sort of trojan horse? Perhaps it was intended to be "shot down", captured by the Iranians, and has a transponder to send back info on its final destination. Perhaps as a means of determining the exact locale of Iranian research facilities or to dtermine who the ultimate "buyer" of the drone might be...

IIRC, it was rumored that the bombing of the Chinese embassy in Triploi several years ago during an attack on Libya was due to a transponder beacon on a piece of U.S. technology the Chinese had acquired from Libya...

[Skybird]

http://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/rq-170-sentinel/


The RQ-170 can be controlled either manually from the GCS or through autonomous mode. An automatic launch and recovery (ALR) system facilitates the aircraft to land safely when communication with the control station fails.

[Gerald]

http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/377/57213624jex1258944de27.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/35/57213624jex1258944de27.jpg/)

[Jimbuna]

As I steted earlier....a model.

[Skybird]

As I steted earlier....a model.
Link?

Earlier this day I read on some meanwhile forgotten side that Obama had ruled ouzt a demand by the armed forced to derstroy the drone via an air strike. Those precious diplomatic sentiments, you know, talks in Paris with Vietnam in flames and all that.

According to BBC and the NYT, Iran claims to have electronically hijacked the drone, and then remote-controlled it to a safe landing.

Don'T know if the claim is true - but that in can be done - and would be done sooner or later by somebody - I think must be clear to everybody. You can harden electronics and comm-links. And you can penetrate hardened systems.

This hitech gadgets and warfare is all nice and well against an inferior enemy. But an enemy of sufficient own hitech capability turns a dependency on such hitech stuff into something that can unpleasantly boomerang against you. You launch a drone to bomb the enemy - and the drone gets hijacked and bombs you. You have clever ammunitions navigating by itself on basis of GPS, and somebody floods the atmosphere with static noise. You have trained supoerior movement coordination via computerised, satellite-supported comm-links, and somebody switches the birds off or silences their chirping.

[Jimbuna]

According to what I've read, it was specifically made without using unique technology. This is owing to the fact that it was designed to operate over hostile territory and one was almost certainly going to be downed eventually.

Agreed :yep:

[Jimbuna]

Link?

Earlier this day I read on some meanwhile forgotten side that Obama had ruled ouzt a demand by the armed forced to derstroy the drone via an air strike. Those precious diplomatic sentiments, you know, talks in Paris with Vietnam in flames and all that.

According to BBC and the NYT, Iran claims to have electronically hijacked the drone, and then remote-controlled it to a safe landing.

Don'T know if the claim is true - but that in can be done - and would be done sooner or later by somebody - I think must be clear to everybody. You can harden electronics and comm-links. And you can penetrate hardened systems.

This hitech gadgets and warfare is all nice and well against an inferior enemy. But an enemy of sufficient own hitech capability turns a dependency on such hitech stuff into something that can unpleasantly boomerang against you. You launch a drone to bomb the enemy - and the drone gets hijacked and bombs you. You have clever ammunitions navigating by itself on basis of GPS, and somebody floods the atmosphere with static noise. You have trained supoerior movement coordination via computerised, satellite-supported comm-links, and somebody switches the birds off or silences their chirping.

I don't profess to speak from a position of definite understanding...but I doubt thry currently have the capability.....I certainly hope they don't.

[Kaye T. Bai]

I ain't no expert, but it looks fake.

* It's painted beige/tan. USAF RQ-170s are painted haze grey.

* No markings whatsoever, not even any numbers. USAF RQ-170s should have USAF markings on them (roundel, etc).

* Not a scratch. Even if it landed safely in the desert, it should have some wear and tear.

[joegrundman]

well, there is a shortage of facts here.

But here are some of what appear to be facts.

The Iranians claim to have taken possession of a real drone. The US acknowledges it has lost one.

The easiest way for the US to disprove the Iranian claim is to find the lost drone.

The Iranians have gone to the trouble of making a model for display, so presumably they are confident the US won't just find their lost one. And the best way to be sure of that is if you are indeed in possession of the real lost drone.

On the matter of colours, let us then assume that both the US and Iran know what colour the real drone is.

It may be that Kaye T.Baye's assertion that all are painted haze gray is wrong and that there are variant colours. Paint is cheap. But it may be that this person is right, and in that case the Iranians know that the Americans know that this is a fake. In any case Kaye T.Baye shows there are other signs it is a fake.

The question is then, why go to the trouble of showing a fake?

My preferred candidate answer is that the Iranians are no longer in possession of the original, and neither are the Americans, but they want everyone to know that they had it.

But another answer could be that the original is so badly damaged that it will be apparent the Iranians are not in possession of anything useful if they showed it

[mapuc]

According to this:

http://www.conunderground.com/breaking-we-were-right-obama-gave-iran-the-drone/

Obama served them the drone on silverplate.

(That's just hard to believe).

Markus

[soopaman2]

My opinion? Black flag op.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_flag

The purpose, and the originators is a mystery. Could be Iran seeking casus belli on Israel via the USA.
Could be other arab nations with access to American Hardware doing spying of thier own. IE the Saudis. Or Israel trying to bait America into a conflict, both have a good reason to keep us in the middle east.

Or the most obvious, Us Americans being what we are, and boldly spying. Only no Francis Gary Powers to rescue/trade this time.

My mind is open, I know what my country is capible of.

[Skybird]

According to this:

http://www.conunderground.com/breaking-we-were-right-obama-gave-iran-the-drone/

Obama served them the drone on silverplate.

(That's just hard to believe).

Markus

I too have read that Obama has refused a demand by the military to launch an airstrike on the landing/crashing site.

I wonder why one cannot report on that in an objective, fact-oriented manner, critical - but professional? Why this manipulative sub-tone, this emotional rant? Maybe because the way it was set up is linked to and refers to FOX, that it even mentions?

I question Obama'S wisdom there. But I am willing to discuss over his motive. Consider an airstrike, a bombing raid being carried out. The diplomatic turmoil. De facto an act of a hot shooting war that diplomats of the Obama regime want to avoid at all cost, it seems. The massive swing of public opinion again.

I do not say these reasons are more valuable than denying the technology of the drone to the Iranians. But I hate this hate-filled, manipulative gutter-journalism that is no journalism at all, but is propaganda and emotional rant.

[eddie]

From what I have been hearing on this, the CIA is not happy! They used this same type of drone over Pakistan, during the runup to take out OBL.

[soopaman2]

I too have read that Obama has refused a demand by the military to launch an airstrike on the landing/crashing site.

I wonder why one cannot report on that in an objective, fact-oriented manner, critical - but professional? Why this manipulative sub-tone, this emotional rant? Maybe because the way it was set up is linked to and refers to FOX, that it even mentions?

I question Obama'S wisdom there. But I am willing to discuss over his motive. Consider an airstrike, a bombing raid being carried out. The diplomatic turmoil. De facto an act of a hot shooting war that diplomats of the Obama regime want to avoid at all cost, it seems. The massive swing of public opinion again.

I do not say these reasons are more valuable than denying the technology of the drone to the Iranians. But I hate this hate-filled gutter-journalism that is no journalism at all, but is propaganda and emotional rant.

In all fairness sir.
Airstriking Iran is a different animal than what we do in Palkistan with Hellfire missiles from predator drones.

Think about it, the first time we did it, it would have caused an open war, had it not been sanctioned from deep levels of Paki government. We even hit there guys by accident, and all we got was dirty looks, money talks, and they love US money.

If we hit Iran as blatantly as we nail Pakistan, Israel would be invaded so fast, followed by condemnations calls from monkey ears Mahmoud. Followed by Russia and China making Americas UN life miserable (as they always do in the UN), even if we do pay most the way in that operation.

I do wish Obama had a set of testicles myself. But if you saw the Republican field we have, you would actually be grateful to have a spineless scholar, rather than a religious extremist.

[mapuc]

I too have read that Obama has refused a demand by the military to launch an airstrike on the landing/crashing site.

I wonder why one cannot report on that in an objective, fact-oriented manner, critical - but professional? Why this manipulative sub-tone, this emotional rant? Maybe because the way it was set up is linked to and refers to FOX, that it even mentions?

I question Obama'S wisdom there. But I am willing to discuss over his motive. Consider an airstrike, a bombing raid being carried out. The diplomatic turmoil. De facto an act of a hot shooting war that diplomats of the Obama regime want to avoid at all cost, it seems. The massive swing of public opinion again.

I do not say these reasons are more valuable than denying the technology of the drone to the Iranians. But I hate this hate-filled, manipulative gutter-journalism that is no journalism at all, but is propaganda and emotional rant.

An attack on iranian soil, could be seen by the iranian as an act of war. However, sending a drone into a country, could also be seen as an act of war.

I agree, that if the article is right in it's statement, they could have written it in a more subjektive way.

But I assume that this newspaper is a left or a rightwing newspaper, so offcourse they write it in their way of seeing it.

Markus

[vienna]

I too have read that Obama has refused a demand by the military to launch an airstrike on the landing/crashing site.


This may play more to the idea I proffered earlier of the "capture" of the drone being a sort of 'Trojan Horse" operation. Give them a drone, stripped of the more 'sensitive' technology, but with enough to make it interesting, and see where it goes and to whom. Might be a good way to suss out intelligence locations or the Iran's 'customers/clients' with a view to taking later action or to set up a propaganda campaign...

[Jimbuna]

I too have read that Obama has refused a demand by the military to launch an airstrike on the landing/crashing site.

I wonder why one cannot report on that in an objective, fact-oriented manner, critical - but professional? Why this manipulative sub-tone, this emotional rant? Maybe because the way it was set up is linked to and refers to FOX, that it even mentions?

I question Obama'S wisdom there. But I am willing to discuss over his motive. Consider an airstrike, a bombing raid being carried out. The diplomatic turmoil. De facto an act of a hot shooting war that diplomats of the Obama regime want to avoid at all cost, it seems. The massive swing of public opinion again.

I do not say these reasons are more valuable than denying the technology of the drone to the Iranians. But I hate this hate-filled, manipulative gutter-journalism that is no journalism at all, but is propaganda and emotional rant.

^ Good post :yep:

[Jimbuna]

If we hit Iran as blatantly as we nail Pakistan, Israel would be invaded so fast,

By whom?

I suspect the Israelis may be only to happy to accomodate any suitor....preferably Iran and especially if the US was happy with said retaliation which such an aggressive move would dictate.

[Kaye T. Bai]

By whom?

Wouldn't be the Syrians, that's for sure. They're in a civil war. The Jordanians just want to mind their own business and the Lebanese are a whole 'nother story.

[Jimbuna]

Wouldn't be the Syrians, that's for sure. They're in a civil war. The Jordanians just want to mind their own business and the Lebanese are a whole 'nother story.

Not many other suitors left then...oh I forgot Egypt, no...wait a minute :DL

[Kaye T. Bai]

Not many other suitors left then...oh I forgot Egypt, no...wait a minute

Egypt's too busy going after Christians and the Libyans are busy banning Jews from entering their newly governed country.

[Oberon]

Please sir, can we have our drone back?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-16150384

[Dowly]

Oh I'm sure they'll just send it back in christmas wrapper. :)

[kraznyi_oktjabr]

Mr Obama said he would not comment on classified intelligence matters, but confirmed: "We have asked for it back. We'll see how the Iranians respond."Maybe U.S. gov hopes that Santa pics it up in his way to North America... :D

[Jimbuna]

Please sir, can we have our drone back?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-16150384

Was looking at that a little while ago....looks like Obama is calling their bluff...put up or shut up :hmmm: