US confirms secret drone now in Iranian hands

[The Inspector]

Grainy, not quite focused photos reproduced on a cheap printer or shown @ a little distance on local TV work wonders for stirring up the 'great unwashed', a lot of whom in the arab world are illiterate and 'vote' in 'elections' by looking for the symbol of a Duck or kitchen sink as their parties or candidates designator. As a 'see what the great satan has done to disgrace Alah!!!! maneuver it works wonders and they pass them out by the stack so every other person has something to wave at the TV cameras since I'd bet not 1 in 10,000 of them has ever seen a picture of a real drone.
All the way back to the Iran hostage deal, I noticed that as the TV cameras panned the crowds in front of the U.S. Embassy the crowds would yell and shake their fists and as the camera moved on, they'd go back to 'just hangin' out' mode like watching the 'wave' @ a football game.

[TROJANII]

I have big doubts about the inlet shape which appears to be distinctly different from published pictures of the real deal, and the 'egg crate' grill that looks like it came off a 10 year old Hyundai or a '71 CAMARO Z-28 and looks to be a perfect breeding place for inlet icing. All pictures I can find on line show no humps in the wing to body area and why does it appear to be painted with automotive yellowish filler primer instead of a middling gray. They may have the drone, but I have serious doubts that's the real item. And what would they be 'downloading' from what's pretty much supposed to be an up link to a satellite?
And, being externally controlled shouldn't it be somewhat more damaged than whats shown? Uncontrolled, unpowered aircraft never seem to make perfect, feather pillow landings like this appears to have done. I have little doubt they have it, I just donot think that's it.

Photo with humps in wings:

http://static6.businessinsider.com/imag ... -drone.jpg

Probably antennaes?

[the330thbg]

agree.., I have a good friend of mine who fled Iran in the early 80's with his family., he told me that the ones demonstrating in front of the camera burning US flags were paid state employees.., and that is why the camera shots were 'tight' because there typically were no more than a few dozen demonstrators..,

Propaganda is king!

Look how the US gubmint is trying to spin a rosey picture of the US economy.

Coming from someone (me) working at ground zero for all of this., you ain't seen nothing yet.

Europe is going to implode and take us with it.

[262crew]

A good shot of the sentinel. Hump and color can be clearly seen.

http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/the-d ... ry-pl.html

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/blogs/de ... d=blogDest

[cooper9411]

News reports this mornigng are saying that what Iran has is a fake.

[the330thbg]

The more videos I see of it.., it looks authentic enough.., the initial photo., was not clear.., but there are ones on youtube of Iranian Officials opening panels and deploying airbrakes on her.., she looks the part.

Last edited by the330thbg on Thu Dec 15, 2011 11:03 am, edited 1 time in total.

[The Inspector]

Well, you know what they say, "When you're hot, you sweat"

[cooper9411]

I think that it is real, our government is trying to put a nice spin on the story. It's real.

[muddyboots]

he he Obama asked for it back.

[the330thbg]

I think that it is real, our government is trying to put a nice spin on the story. It's real.

totally agree, mate.

She is the real deal.

That dog can hunt

[TROJANII]

I remember reading awhile ago about a virus that logged the keystrokes of the drone operators. Thought was that it was "harmless" at the time. I wonder if it is directly related to this incident?

http://defensetech.org/2011/10/11/usaf- ... overblown/

[Kyleb]

My guess:

The drone had a malfunction and went down in Iran. Nothing more.

If the Iranians had the ability to take control of our drones, they wouldn't advertise it until they collected quite a few of 'em.

Even though they (IMO) don't have that capability, it sure is fun for them to claim that capability and put that question in play for the CIA and USAF. Especially since there is no easy way to disprove the claim.

[b29flteng]

Am I the only one who wonders whether the drone shown in the video is real? It seems strange that none of the lower portion is visible and it has what appears to be taped over joints where the wing panels join the center section. To me, it looks more like a mockup or a model..........

I agree.

And this from the "American Thinker" website.

December 16, 2011
Spy v spy on the drone
Ethel C. Fenig

As Sherlock Holmes said to Dr. Watson, "the game is afoot." Is the super secret, super sensitive US drone that somehow wandered into Iranian territory, maybe by a cyberattack,or maybe Afghanistani "friendly forces" turned it over to the Iranians -- really a "toy plane" as Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad tauntingly calls it? According to a report in USA Today an anonymous former Pentagon official alleges it is. At least for publication.

The unmanned spy plane recently captured by Iran appears to be a fake, according to a former Pentagon official.

The former official, who saw video footage of the drone on display in Iran, said not only is it the wrong color, but also the welds along the wing joints do not appear to conform to the stealth design that helps it avoid radar detection. The official requested anonymity because he is not authorized to release information on the drone matter.

(snip)

The former official also questioned why the landing gear was covered up when displayed by the Iranian military. In the footage, the drone's underside is obscured with banners that read: "We'll trample America underfoot" and "The U.S. cannot do a darn thing."

As is to be expected there are numerous conflicting reports about the plane, rumors, half baked ideas, deliberate misinformation; obviously much of this is spy v spy, each side trying to minimize damage, maximize accomplishment but let's hope the Anonymous Pentagon Official is correct in this international game of chess. Of course, chess has been played in Iran for a long time.

[cooper9411]

Our government wants us to think it is fake and that they could never let something like this happen.

[the330thbg]

Our government wants us to think it is fake and that they could never let something like this happen.

Exactly!!