Iran shoots down US drone aircraft

[jpak]

Source: CNN

Tehran, Iran (CNN)Iranian forces have shot down a United States military drone, a move that appears to have escalated the volatile situation playing out between Washington and Tehran in the Middle East.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard said it had shot down an "intruding American spy drone" after it entered into the country's territory Thursday, according to state-run Press TV.

A US official confirmed to CNN a drone had been shot down, but said the incident occurred in international airspace over the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most vital shipping routes.

Press TV reported the downed drone was a US-made RQ-4 Global Hawk, while the US official said it was a MQ-4C Triton. Both are unmanned surveillance aircraft developed by weapons manufacturer Northrop Grumman.

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Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/20/middleeast/iran-drone-claim-hnk-intl/index.html

[underpants]

1. God I hope it was a MQ-4C Triton. Them Global Hawk's is expensive

RQ-4 Global Hawk
https://www.stripes.com/polopoly_fs/1.549474.1538111381!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_900/image.jpg


Each aircraft was to cost US$60.9 million in 2001,[3] but this had risen to $222.7 million per aircraft (including development costs) by 2013

Developed into Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton



https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--NJNrBw7I--/c_fill,f_auto,fl_progressive,g_center,h_675,pg_1,q_80,w_1200/ov7pvlzy0xrv7p6igplz.jpg

Unit cost US$120.689m (FY15) US$182.378m (inc R&D)

[FBaggins]

3. They're essentially the same

The Triton is the naval version of the Global Hawk. A moderately different wing design and different mission profile are the only real differences. That "including development costs" muddles the cost comparison. The Triton is probably a tad more expensive to replace.

Regardless. The State Department just confirmed that it was a Global Hawk

[Eugene]

5. A US official told Reuters that it was a US Navy Triton

Iran, U.S. in war of words after U.S. drone shot down

A U.S. official said the drone was a U.S. Navy MQ-4C Triton and that it had been downed in international air space over the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a third of the world’s seaborne oil exits the Gulf..

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-iran-usa/iran-u-s-in-war-of-words-after-u-s-drone-shot-down-idUSKCN1TL07P

[FBaggins]

7. That was last night

They have since corrected it. The confusion was probably because the drone was being operated by the Navy and some spokesman knew that the Navy version of the drone had a different designation.

However:

UPDATE: A US official previously identified to CNN the model of the drone as a MQ-4C Triton, but US Central Command later said it was an RQ-4A Global Hawk.

https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/iran-us-drone-shot-down-latest-intl/index.html

The only relevant difference is that the newer naval version might drop from the normal (reported) 50k foot operating altitude to 10k feet... which would make it easier for Iran to hit. The RG-4A version would most likely have been much higher (meaning that Iran might have now shown that they can hit something that high up)

[Bengus81]

2. Ahhhh...gets Trump one step closer to his election WAR..........

Worked for an IDIOT like Dubya when it came to an election,work for Trump too.

[CrispyQ]

9. But Pooty told him to back off. What will he do?

Putin open for talks with Trump, warns against force on Iran
By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV
an hour ago

https://www.apnews.com/2c1d6e923a7349e29daf0e00a956f2d8

snip...

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that he’s open for a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump but doesn’t expect quick progress on easing tensions with Washington.

The Russian leader also strongly warned the United States against using force on Iran, saying it will trigger a “catastrophe.”

Trump said he would meet with Putin on the sidelines of next week’s G-20 summit in Osaka, Japan, but the Kremlin noted that the White House hasn’t formally requested the meeting yet.

[Takket]

4. If a foreign country flew a drone over the US, would we shoot it down?

[Stuart G]

8. Yes, we would.

[Takket]

10. Oh... so we shouldn't be outraged a country

Is defending its own airspace in the same manner we would?

[Mosby]

12. except our drone wasn't in their airspace.

[McKim]

6. Can We Trust this "News"?

Can we trust this news, I honestly cannot believe anything anymore. If true, you know, as we say about another country in the Middle East: “Iran has a right to defend itself!”

[SCVDem]

18. I do not

Trust anything from this white house!

That is disgusting!

[FakeNoose]

11. Did anybody ask what was the drone doing, flying over Iran?

Maybe the whole point was to get it shot down.

[EarthFirst]

13. This is exactly my position as well...

It wouldn’t surprise me if there were multiple drones being operated in an effort to get this reaction.

[Sapient Donkey]

15. I guess that depends on who is to be trusted as to where the drone was when it was shot down

Is there any way to say for sure who is telling the truth? At this point, I can see it going either way. I have a hard time believing either party involved.

Either way, I don't want us to go to war over a drone.

[Bengus81]

19. Bottom line is they could position a satellite over Iran and the area.........

Which the Pentagon is already doing and watch in real time and have photos so clear you can read underwear labels. But just like the Gulf of Tonkin it takes some work to jin up a War and blame the other side.

[Sapient Donkey]

20. Satellites are not nearly as flexible or have the same number of sensors as a drone

or other spy plane. As such, I don't think I can agree that the only reason they would have such an aircraft out there is to cause an incident in which it is shot down. Which doesn't mean there isn't some shady stuff going on, but rather the drone existing isn't proof of it either way.

[hack89]

16. It was flying over water

in international airspace.

[FBaggins]

17. There's no reason to think that it was

They're "sitting ducks" compared to other aircraft - so their mission profiles wouldn't normally include flying into enemy airspace.

However - with reported altitudes of 50,000 to 65,000 feet, the horizon would be 250-300 miles away. The drone doesn't have to go anywhere near the coast in order to see everything they need to see.

[aggiesal]

14. I worked in the developement of the Global Hawk ...

at Teledyne-Ryan in San Diego, before Teledyne-Ryan was purchased by Northrop Grumman
and was part of the 1st Flight team.

Teledyne-Ryan was originally Ryan Aeronautical, the same company that built
the Spirit Of St. Louis for Charles Limbergh.
San Diego's Airport is Limbergh Field.