Scandalous UAV RQ-170 still flying
The US Air Force recently announced that they knew what caused one of their unmanned aerial vehicles RQ-170 in Iran two months ago. However, the air force did not disclose the details, noting only that Iran was not involved in the UAV crash. The Air Force also said that since they were able to figure out what caused the loss of RQ-170, they continue to use RQ-170S for reconnaissance. The Air Force also admitted that the lost RQ-170 in Iran was used by the CIA.
RQ-170 first appeared in Afghanistan and South Korea two years ago. Then the US Air Force reported that it is a high-altitude reconnaissance UAV, secretly developed by Lockheed-Martin over the previous decade. It has a wingspan of 12 meters. Experts believe RQ-170 should replace some manned reconnaissance aircraft U-2 and large unmanned Global Hawk (having a wingspan of 42 meters). RQ-170 has been working on Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran for at least a year.
There are many mysteries surrounding the loss of RQ-170 in Iran. According to the Iranian military, they managed to crack the control signals of the RQ-170 and land it on their own. This seems unlikely, but not impossible. Experts on Iranian military technology immediately suspected that something was wrong. First, Iranians are constantly lying about their military achievements, especially when it comes to developing new types of weapons and technologies. Apparently this is done mainly for internal propaganda, since satellite imagery never shows more than a few prototypes of miraculousweapons.
Later, many Americans familiar with RQ-170 carefully studied the images of the "captured" RQ-170 and immediately suspected something unusual. On the one hand, the RQ-170 was shown to be the correct size and shape, but in a different color. But it's not just the color. A closer look at Iranian RQ-170 photographs revealed that the Iranians had assembled a crashed RQ-170 from three or more pieces. Then the Iranians apparently repainted the UAV, which is evident from the photographs they presented.
At the moment, the only thing that can be sure for sure is that the American UAV operators lost satellite communications with the RQ-170, and the device crashed. There were no signs that the Iranians had jammed the satellite control signal. Iran had previously jammed satellite signals, but only satellite entertainment programs, and not encrypted UAV control signals. So in this stories many mysteries remain.
The true cause of the loss of this UAV, as well as the damage from the loss of the apparatus and the technology of sensors, will remain unknown for many years. Losses such as this have been happening for decades and have had a serious impact. For example, American cruise missiles lost in Pakistan (on the way to Afghanistan) in the 1990s clearly influenced the design of the Pakistani cruise missile. American military aircraft that crashed in North Vietnam in the 1960-s provided some advanced technologies to China and the USSR, although they are not decisive.
RQ-170 first appeared in Afghanistan and South Korea two years ago. Then the US Air Force reported that it is a high-altitude reconnaissance UAV, secretly developed by Lockheed-Martin over the previous decade. It has a wingspan of 12 meters. Experts believe RQ-170 should replace some manned reconnaissance aircraft U-2 and large unmanned Global Hawk (having a wingspan of 42 meters). RQ-170 has been working on Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran for at least a year.
There are many mysteries surrounding the loss of RQ-170 in Iran. According to the Iranian military, they managed to crack the control signals of the RQ-170 and land it on their own. This seems unlikely, but not impossible. Experts on Iranian military technology immediately suspected that something was wrong. First, Iranians are constantly lying about their military achievements, especially when it comes to developing new types of weapons and technologies. Apparently this is done mainly for internal propaganda, since satellite imagery never shows more than a few prototypes of miraculousweapons.
Later, many Americans familiar with RQ-170 carefully studied the images of the "captured" RQ-170 and immediately suspected something unusual. On the one hand, the RQ-170 was shown to be the correct size and shape, but in a different color. But it's not just the color. A closer look at Iranian RQ-170 photographs revealed that the Iranians had assembled a crashed RQ-170 from three or more pieces. Then the Iranians apparently repainted the UAV, which is evident from the photographs they presented.
At the moment, the only thing that can be sure for sure is that the American UAV operators lost satellite communications with the RQ-170, and the device crashed. There were no signs that the Iranians had jammed the satellite control signal. Iran had previously jammed satellite signals, but only satellite entertainment programs, and not encrypted UAV control signals. So in this stories many mysteries remain.
The true cause of the loss of this UAV, as well as the damage from the loss of the apparatus and the technology of sensors, will remain unknown for many years. Losses such as this have been happening for decades and have had a serious impact. For example, American cruise missiles lost in Pakistan (on the way to Afghanistan) in the 1990s clearly influenced the design of the Pakistani cruise missile. American military aircraft that crashed in North Vietnam in the 1960-s provided some advanced technologies to China and the USSR, although they are not decisive.
Information