Iran claims to have captured two miniature U.S.-made unmanned surveillance aircraft over the past 17 months, according to Iranian media.
Several incidents over the past year have highlighted tension in the Gulf as Iran and the United States flex their military capabilities in the vital oil exporting region in a standoff over Iran’s disputed nuclear programme.
The lightweight RQ11 Ravens were brought down by Iranian Air Defence Units in separate incidents in August 2011 and November 2012, Rear Admiral Amir Rastegari told Fars news agency.
“Much of the data of these drones has been decoded by the Army’s jihad and research center,” he said, without elaborating.
Manufactured by AeroVironment, the RQ11 Raven has a wingspan of 1.36 meters (4.5 feet) and a range of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) and is used by the U.S. military for low-altitude surveillance.
Iran said on Dec. 4 that it had captured a U.S. intelligence ScanEagle in its air space over the Gulf in the previous few days, but the United States said there was no evidence to support the assertion.
The U.S. Navy said had it not lost any unmanned aircraft in the area. The four-foot (1.25 metre) ScanEagles built by Boeing Co are deployed in the region by the United States military and also by other countries.
In November, the United States said Iranian warplanes shot at a U.S drone flying in international air space. Iran said the aircraft had entered its air space to spy on Iranian oil platforms and said it would respond “decisively” to any incursions.
Source: Haaretz