The Drone Iran Shot Down Is A Quarter Billion Dollar Surveillance Monster

SOURCE: ZEROHEDGE

The US drone that Iran shot down over the Strait of Hormuz last week is an RQ-4A Global Hawk, a $220 million surveillance monster in the sky, Wired reported. According to Iran, the Northrup Grumman-made Global Hawk - which is part of a multibillion-dollar program that dates back to 2001 - entered their air space and crashed into Iranian waters. The U.S. insists that the drone was flying in international airspace.

The incident comes after the U.S. accused Iran of attacking two fuel tankers in the Gulf of Oman. The U.S. also claims that Iran attempted to shoot down another drone, an MQ-9 Reaper, and failed. The U.S. has also linked Iran to an attack on a Reaper drone in Yemen two weeks ago that caused the drone to crash.

However, last week's attack was on a far more expensive and technologically advanced drone, indicating a "more definite escalation" according to the report.

Thomas Karako, director of the Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies said: "There's a lot going on here, and we're probably only seeing some of it. This is a more expensive, higher-altitude, more capable, long-range intelligence surveillance reconnaissance craft. If they’re shooting down aircraft in international airspace over international waters, that's likely to elicit some kind of measured reprisal."

Karako says that details on the airspace won't be released until the U.S. releases more about the drone's flight path: "Whether they want to release that is more of a policy decision. But thus far CentCom is insistent that it was in international airspace."

He continued: "Part of the selling point is Global Hawks fly so high and normally they should be secure from being shot down. It’s not incredibly difficult to shoot down a system like that, but it’s comparatively difficult. It shows resolve on the political side."

Drones like the one shot down Thursday are described as "massive surveillance platforms" and have been in operation since 2001. They have a wingspan of more than 130 feet and a takeoff weigh of more than 16 tons. Their range is more than 12,000 nautical miles, they can fly as high as 60,000 feet, and they can fly for 34 hours straight. They have no offensive capabilities and can cost up to $220 million each.

For surveillance, they include "infrared and thermal imaging, radar, and electro-optical imaging in their arsenal of sensors". They also use large telephoto lenses to get detailed views of targets.

"There could always be super secret spy tech onboard that we don’t know about," says Ulrike Franke, a policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations and a drone researcher.

Franke says its likely that this drone, however, was a "typical surveillance workhorse" that was downed for geopolitical reasons instead of for technological recon. Last year, Israel said they shot down an Iranian drone that was a "copy" of a U.S. Sentinel drone that Iran captured and claimed to reverse engineer it in 2011.

Views: 79

Comment

You need to be a member of 12160 Social Network to add comments!

Join 12160 Social Network

"Destroying the New World Order"

TOP CONTENT THIS WEEK

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE SITE!

mobile page

12160.info/m

12160 Administrators

Doc Vega, Chris of the family Masters, cheeki kea and 3 more were featured

 

Latest Activity

Ragnarok posted videos
2 hours ago
Less Prone commented on steve's photo
Thumbnail

chevy 12

"Nice work."
5 hours ago
Less Prone commented on tjdavis's photo
Thumbnail

Bone Heads

"It's actually discrimination against the whole human species not just some degenerate…"
5 hours ago
Less Prone commented on Less Prone's blog post hCG and Planned Parenthood Business Model - Philantrophy Pays
"We as a society are so deap in illusions that everything is justified as long as it involves huge…"
5 hours ago
tjdavis favorited Sandy's video
5 hours ago
tjdavis posted photos
6 hours ago
FREEDOMROX posted a discussion
7 hours ago
FREEDOMROX posted a blog post
7 hours ago
steve commented on Less Prone's blog post hCG and Planned Parenthood Business Model - Philantrophy Pays
"POWDERED BABY PILLS for your "health". My BOOK says it would be better to have a…"
8 hours ago
steve posted a discussion

MORE FROM SICK AND TWISTED CHINA - MURDERED POWDERED BABIES IN CAPSULE FORM. YES THIS IS NO JOKE

YUMMY YUM YUM and the placenta makes your weight drop and your pecker stand up.I can't believe…See More
9 hours ago
steve commented on Less Prone's video
Thumbnail

Jonathan Pie: 'Boris Johnson Is a Liar' | NYT Opinion

"He is like trumpy bears twin degenerate brother all boastful and full of himself just like our own…"
9 hours ago
steve posted blog posts
10 hours ago
steve posted photos
12 hours ago
Doc Vega posted a blog post

A Mother's Day Remembrance

  Spent Mother's Day alone In a world as cold as stone Mom disappeared in the dead zone Are these…See More
12 hours ago
steve commented on Less Prone's blog post hCG and Planned Parenthood Business Model - Philantrophy Pays
"It's fkn cannibalism  plain and simple. Consuming parts from other humans whether it be…"
12 hours ago
rlionhearted_3 posted photos
13 hours ago
FREEDOMROX replied to FREEDOMROX's discussion Infrastructure Bill, now LAW, steals all privacy in your CAR by 2026! China, here we come!
"Yes it is Doc"
13 hours ago
Less Prone commented on Less Prone's blog post hCG and Planned Parenthood Business Model - Philantrophy Pays
"Chat with CHG sales Customer Relations CR - Welcome to our site, if you need help simply reply to…"
14 hours ago
Less Prone favorited Ragnarok's video
14 hours ago
Less Prone commented on Less Prone's video
Thumbnail

5 Reasons Christians Love Putin!!!

"Anyone who has kept his eyes open during the last few years (even decades) must have realised that…"
14 hours ago

© 2023   Created by truth.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service

content and site copyright 12160.info 2007-2019 - all rights reserved. unless otherwise noted