Iranian drone plane buzzes U.S. aircraft carrier in Persian Gulf (Russian Source)

Ria Novosti/India Defence ^

[Srirangan]

Tehran: A pilotless Iranian reconnaissance plane circled for 25 minutes over a U.S. aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf before returning safely to its base, a senior Iranian official said Tuesday.

"Our pilotless reconnaissance plane flew over the USS Ronald Reagan in the Persian Gulf unnoticed to the Americans for 25 minutes," the official said, according to Iran's Fars agency.

He did not say when the flight took place, but added that U.S. radars picked up the unmanned aerial vehicle after 25 minutes, and that four USAF fighters and two helicopters were scrambled to intercept it. However, the Iranian plane had already crossed the border back into Iran and landed at its base.

[auntyfemenist]

Its not. However, their claim is baseless since it isn't likely that anything circled the RR unnoticed. Their bravado and bluster is the issue. Besides, I would prefer we win the game of oneupmanship in the battles of who can spy on who. The object is to keep the other guy from spying as much as possible. War is not an exercise in fairness.

[DustyMoment]

"Our pilotless reconnaissance plane flew over the USS Ronald Reagan in the Persian Gulf unnoticed to the Americans for 25 minutes," the official said, according to Iran's Fars agency.

How do I doubt this??? Let me count the ways . . . . . . .

[GalaxieFiveHundred]

"Our pilotless reconnaissance plane flew over the USS Ronald Reagan..."

[Jack Deth]

Modern US fighters gave up Machine Guns long ago, keithtoo.

To be replaced by a General Electric Vulcan 20mm Gattling Gun style cannon, usually on the left (seen from behind) side of the fuselages of F-16s, 15s and 18s.

Jack.

[daybreakcoming]

I saw this story two or three weeks ago.

So did I Eric. Evidently Iran was not pleased with the "so what?" response to their "shock and awe" drone and have hired a PR firm to run the story again. Even the USS Reagan was not impressed enough to acknowledge it. And you know they were aware of it.

[Belasarius]

The CIWS is an anti-missile defense weapon. If the drone is not acting like a threat, it won't be engaged. I won't go into specifics about how it evaluates targets but if you were walking down the street and a guy on the opposite side of the street turned around, started running toward you screaming while putting his hand in his pocket you would probably evaulate him as a threat. If he is merely observing you from a distance, you wouldn't.

I'm not surprised. A very small aircraft flying low and slow during a relaxed threat condition would probably not be noticed on radar unless it's tuned properly, working right, and being operated by alert watch-standers.

We would get bounced occasionally by our own aircraft who would scream overhead at a couple of hundred feet at night and scare the bejezzus out of everybody. It's embarrassing but it happens.

I don't know that they have this drone but it seems to me like you can order half of what you need right out of hobby catalogs.

[Focault's Pendulum]

Why then is it wrong for them to try to check out our military?

You're pretty wacky...aren't you.

[Jack Deth]

USAF fighters ...on a NAVAL vessel?

Not in my life time, Gunny!

Most of the AF throttle jocks I know have a hard enough time hitting a stationary Active, let alone a moving one.

Though, it would have been cool to have lit up an Aegis Cruiser's Defensive System just to fry the alleged "drone"'s electronic innards!

Jack.

[Jack Deth]

Why then is it wrong for them to try to check out our military?

The Iranians have binoculars, don't they, Joe?

Considering that a Carrier doesn't go anywhere without its Task Force of assorted Crusiers, Frigates, 688s and Support Ships.

Besides the notion that a carrier also has a TopCap of fighers and Buddy Store planes aloft around the Group at all times.

I don't think there are all that many Iranian pilots wishing to play "Chicken" with the Navy when Rules Of Engagement are already in place.

Jack.

[Joe Boucher]

Yes what you say is good and accurate. I don't think it possible that Iran flew an unmanned over the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan for any time at all. I just don't belie them the right to try. Nor do I belie our opportunity to shoot the booger out of the sky.

[Joe Boucher]

NO, not really. Just not so pompus that I think only the U.S. has the right or ability to have unmanned drones. We do it to them. Can't they in turn do the same?

[Always Independent]

Right on the centerline in the aft upper nose of an F-18.

[Pirate21]

Is this story going to be trotted out on the 30th of August as well?

Good catch! Best response yet. Enjoyed following your link...was kind of a deja vu experience...

[rahbert]

Good reason to mount a shipborne laser..

[D-fendr]

We do it to them. Can't they in turn do the same?

The difference is they are an enemy. You don't want to go down the road of "enemies have equal rights of surveillance."

[Joe Boucher]

My point is that just because we are in international waters what makes us think other countries do not have the same right to do spy drones as do we? That's all.
Do I want the Iranians doing this? No, but they have the right to try just as do we.
Fact is, I fail to see why N. Korea can't shoot off whatever missle they care to if it doesn't interfere with other countries airspace. We do it quite often.

[Pox]

I do not believe they have the capability. They may certainly have the desire, but that does not translate into capacity.

What they do have is a never ending fount of propaganda that is not based in reality. If they had such a drone, how could they possibly know it was "over" the U.S.S. Reagan? Does it possess video feedback? If so, those images would have been released to the drooling wankers of the MSM in a heartbeat, and would have been shown repeatedly.

No, it "sounds" sensational, and only the weak minded would entertain such nonsense as realistic, IMO.

Do they have the "right" to actually do these overflights? Likely, but I would like to see them actually attempt such. Their so called "drone" would be flotsam well before it actually had a chance to "fly over" one of our carrier groups, IMO.

[Joe Boucher]

NOt my point at all.
I understand that they are the enemy.
But we test our military as do all countries. As long as they do so in a manner within certain norms then they have as much right as do we to test.
Using a spy plane in international waters is internationally legal. I don't think you'd get much complaint if the U.S. had shot it down cept from Iran of course.