Iran says it has captured a foreign 'enemy drone'
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard said Saturday that it captured a foreign unmanned aircraft during a military exercise in southern Iran.
Gen. Hamid Sarkheili, a spokesman for the military exercise, said the Guard's electronic warfare unit spotted signals indicating that foreign drones were trying to enter Iranian airspace. Sarkheili said Guard experts took control of one drone's navigation system and brought it down near the city of Sirjan where the military drills began on Saturday.
"While probing signals in the area, we spotted foreign and enemy drones which attempted to enter the area of the war game," the official IRNA news agency quoted the general as saying. "We were able to get one enemy drone to land."
Sarkheili did not say whether the drone was American.
Iran has claimed to have captured several U.S. drones, including an advanced RQ-170 Sentinel CIA spy drone in December 2011 and at least three ScanEagle aircraft.
State TV said the Guard's military exercise, code-named Great Prophet-8, involved ground forces of the Guard, Iran's most powerful military force. State TV showed tanks and artillery attacking hypothetical enemy positions. He said various systems, including unmanned planes that operate like suicide bombers, were tested.
"Reconnaissance as well as suicide drones, which are capable of attacking the hypothetical enemies, were deployed and their operational capabilities were studied," the semi-official Fars news agency quoted him as saying.
Gen. Hamid Sarkheili, a spokesman for the military exercise, said the Guard's electronic warfare unit spotted signals indicating that foreign drones were trying to enter Iranian airspace. Sarkheili said Guard experts took control of one drone's navigation system and brought it down near the city of Sirjan where the military drills began on Saturday.
"While probing signals in the area, we spotted foreign and enemy drones which attempted to enter the area of the war game," the official IRNA news agency quoted the general as saying. "We were able to get one enemy drone to land."
Sarkheili did not say whether the drone was American.
Iran has claimed to have captured several U.S. drones, including an advanced RQ-170 Sentinel CIA spy drone in December 2011 and at least three ScanEagle aircraft.
State TV said the Guard's military exercise, code-named Great Prophet-8, involved ground forces of the Guard, Iran's most powerful military force. State TV showed tanks and artillery attacking hypothetical enemy positions. He said various systems, including unmanned planes that operate like suicide bombers, were tested.
"Reconnaissance as well as suicide drones, which are capable of attacking the hypothetical enemies, were deployed and their operational capabilities were studied," the semi-official Fars news agency quoted him as saying.
Iran says it has captured a foreign 'enemy drone' Sounds like part of a star wars movie.
LOL.. I really doubt they seized control of a drone through its navigation system.
Amazing how Iran is suddenly making all these breakthroughs and announcements right before the nuclear talks.
@shadowwalker actually this is the third drone they say they have downed.  The first one was taken down in 2011 so how exactly does that match up with the next round of "talks" that we already know will fail due to the US DEMANDING Iran give up enrichment and shut Fordow down in return for pretty much nothing!  Who is going to agree with that.
The US is not serious about negotiations, the only thing they are serious about is starting a war under false pretenses again. Â Let me guess "we don't want the warning to come in the form of a mushroom cloud" been there, done that.....fool me once, shame on you......fool me twice.....as Bush said....you can't get fooled again!
@shadowwalker The difference is they're actually able to capture them (however they're doing it) without destroying them. The US likes to pretend it never happens, but if you read international news they'll admit it is.
They have the same right of any sovereign nation to defend their territorial integrity, whether they're the "enemy" of the US government or not.Â
Let Barry ask Congress to declare war on Iran if he wants to bomb their cities or assassinate their citizens.Â
Oh, wait - no President has asked Congress for a declaration of war since 1941!
what a bunch of mullahlarki
Just because we think they are the enemy, does not mean that they are with out intelligence and capabilities, these people Know war, they live for war, and underestimation the enemy is deadly on all accounts.Â
This country is also well noted for training Assassins an elite well trained combat individual well trained in hand to hand combat , Sniper, and other war arts.
@lee986321Â "they live for war"
Really, they do....well then it should be pretty easy for you to name one war Iran has started in the last 200 years. Â Waiting for your reply!
They hijacked the controls? Baloney.