Iran claims to down US stealth spy drone

“From a secrecy standpoint, it’s like dropping a Ferrari into an ox-cart technology culture,” Aboulafia said. “But I’m sure they can sell it to someone who can get some kind of information out of it. But the mission systems are likely to be too encrypted to be of use to anyone.”

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This is an ignorant statement. Iran's defense industry is second only to the Israelis in the Middle East, better even than Turkey's. They've developed a lot of their own hardware by necessity because they can't buy it from other countries because of embargoes. Iranian engineers are some of the best in the world because they have excellent universities. Iran's technological prowess is way more advanced than an "ox-cart technology culture."

Geographer said:

This is an ignorant statement. Iran's defense industry is second only to the Israelis in the Middle East, better even than Turkey's. They've developed a lot of their own hardware by necessity because they can't buy it from other countries because of embargoes. Iranian engineers are some of the best in the world because they have excellent universities. Iran's technological prowess is way more advanced than an "ox-cart technology culture."

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better than Turkey? no, by a long shot

but yes Iran is grinding hard on indigenous efforts, not matter how ridiculous people usually think them to be
the close relation with US during the Shah era also left many enduring legacies

I don't think Iran letting Russia or China see the bird is as easy as they say. Iran wants stuff and who knows that all this talk about Iran not capable of deciphering this bird is to get the Iranians to keep it. Iran is in a position to get something in exchange.

AssassinsMace said:

I don't think Iran letting Russia or China see the bird is as easy as they say. Iran wants stuff and who knows that all this talk about Iran not capable of deciphering this bird is to get the Iranians to keep it. Iran is in a position to get something in exchange.

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However, anything Iran would want are beyond the asking price of whatever that RQ-170 worth I reckon, think the US is more keen in slamming a Tomahawk into that facility than agree to whatever demand the Iranian going to throw at them.

Besides, shaping and flight control is no secret to China or Russia - with composite structure a plane can have a lesser radar cross-section than typical metal construction, and it's not like both don't have similar designs already. However small and efficient jet engine design would definitely get China's interest.

Easier said than done. If the US could have destroyed the RQ-170, they would've done it. The US is highly aware that Iran can cause a lot of trouble in the Gulf region and send oil prices skyrocketing and Western economies get worse. Like what is the West going to do? Call for sanctions? The threat of economic calamity scares the US more than anything in this case.

I thought this is funny Obama want the drone back he he he You wish



President Obama has a message for Iran: He would like America's downed spy drone back.

Obama revealed the request for the return of the drone--which fell to earth in Iran recently, and had been captured in video footage circulated by the Iranian government--during a Monday White House news conference. The president shared the podium with Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki as both leaders discussed the future of American-Iraqi relations after the withdrawal of remaining U.S. forces from Iraq this month.

But Obama's comments on the seized drone will likely upstage the designated subject of the conference--and are all but certain to become instant fodder for late-night comedy and GOP primary campaign barbs.

Dude, where's my drone?

solarz said:

Dude, where's my drone?

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He's a, ahem, a Nobel Peace Prize winner.

So Obama does have a sense of humor. Who would have guess?

If the RQ-170 Sentinel, a bat wing top-secret uav could be brought down, wouldn't the F-22 Raptor and the B-2 be even more vulnerable? The technology is already here to detect them reliably?