Breaking: USS Boxer Destroys Iranian Drone

originally posted by: putnam6

originally posted by: EmmanuelGoldstein

originally posted by: roadgravel
Iran seems to have a problem understanding boundaries, my space, your space. The US navy is having to instruct them in the matter.

yeah, good point!

Nobody is going to war and you

Might want to double check you map, like been mentioned dozens of times before most of those bases aren't even active, there are only a handful of active bases

militarybases.com...

true, we technically only have 5 active military bases that are operated by the US military, and another 6 airforce bases in Kuwait for a grand total of 11. Not including our obvious bases in countries we are or were at war with, Iraq and Afghanistan.

More in-depth, we have 104 active Military Camps in Iraq/Afghanistan, 50 active forward operating bases and 73 active combat outposts. If thats what it takes to sustain an invasion of a country like Afghanistan, I would reckon we'd need a hell of a lot more military bases to take on Iran. So my guess is we aren't intentionally circling Iran with military bases, but that ultimately is what is happening as nature takes its course.

originally posted by: Agit8dChop
Drones arent the threat the US needs to worry about in Hormuz. Its swarming, fast attack missile boats.

100 of those racing towards an aircraft carrier, with anti ship missiles and suicidal IRGC officers will sink a carrier.

Sure, ships defenses would sink quite a few... but not them all and the anti ship missiles are powerful.

The US has always owned the skies since ww2.

I want to know whats happening with the oil tanker Iran seized, thats a significantly more important matter.

You mean the cardboard swamp coolers that the Iranians were so proud of ?
The ones that can be heard for miles ?

I imagine this was seen as a chance to test the new tech. Iran drones, too bad, so sad. You are out of the game.

Considering the source, so many questions that need asking here.

How do we know the drone was Iranian? Was it recovered?

How do you warn a drone to stay away? Bullhorn? Do drones have microphones? Signal flags? Is there some way you can speak directly to the drone operator? If you could break in on the drone's communication frequencies and speak directly to the operator, were they warned in English or whatever language Iranians speak? And if you could break in on a drone's frequencies, why fire a shot? You could just override the signal and force it in the water. Or even better, just have it land on the deck intact. Free drone.

Most important, if I see a drone and feel threatened, can I legally shoot it down?

a reply to: VictorVonDoom

They were transiting the Straits of Hormuz, so it was almost certainly tracked on radar coming out of Iranian airspace. That limits the possibility of who it belongs to. It was also only about 3,000 feet from the ship when it was brought down, which means they would have seen it visually with optical systems.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: tinner07

Yes. Even UAVs have radio relays on them, that relay to the ground station. So they broadcast on the frequencies used by Iran warning the ground station to turn it back.

Thank-you! I too wondered all afternoon how we "warned" an un-manned drone.

originally posted by: spiritualarchitect
a reply to: RoScoLaz5

Petty? Drones cost a lot of money.

Since Obama paid for much of Iran's hardware, we sort of shot down a U.S. asset today.

a reply to: carewemust

They are generally used to talk to the guys on the ground when they're working air support, but they also talk to ATC and other agencies. You can hear them talking to JOSHUA around the Palmdale/ Edwards area all the time.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Strait of Hormuz, that could be Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, or even possibly Yemen. And those are just the countries in the area. Could also be Russian, Chinese, US, or a host of others. I would really like to hear Iran or anyone else say, "Yeah, that drone was ours."

Did the drone have any markings? And, once again considering the source, was there really a drone? You know, it's really a shame to have to even ask a question like that. But considering how many times the US government has lied to the American people, you would have to be a fool to take their word for anything without independent verification.

a reply to: VictorVonDoom

If it came out of Iranian airspace it wasn't another country. Iran would have shot it down once it crossed into their airspace. They're not exactly on "feel free to use our airspace for whatever you want" terms with any of those nations.

Yes, it would have markings. They're not likely to come out and say they lost a UAV flying near a US group though. They're not exactly known for admitting when things don't work out how they wanted them to.

Too many people would have been in a position to see the radar and the actual UAV on the ships. So if there wasn't it will eventually get out.

a reply to: Zaphod58

IF it came from Iranian airspace. Like I said, not a lot of confirmed facts here so far.

Eventually, we may find out exactly what happened. Just like we found out about the USS Maddox in the Gulf of Tonkin. I just hope we get the truth before we sacrifice tens of thousands of US servicemen to kill hundreds of thousands of civilians.

It seems to me like these stories just come in with few confirmable facts, many assumptions, and then disappear. Later when they are brought up, the assumptions are assumed to be facts, since there was never any real follow up investigation. Case in point, a lot of people still say Assad used chemical weapons against his people in spite of later evidence to the contrary.

Let me hear Iran say, "Yes, they shot down our drone." Why not? Give me a sailor on the Boxer saying, "Yes, I positively identified it as an Iranian drone by [method]. It couldn't belong to anyone else."

I'm not saying the drone wasn't Iranian. I'm just saying I would like independent corroboration.

a reply to: VictorVonDoom

Independent confirmation doesn't happen with military confrontations, unless there just happens to be a neutral party in the area. And then there will be excuses for why that isn't confirmation. Neither side is going to release radar data because it's too valuable. Video will be said to be faked.

Iran isn't likely to come out and say, "Yes, we flew our UAV towards the Boxer" because then it can easily be construed as they were preparing to attack it. And the key to IRGC power is all the successful events they've pulled off. Admitting they failed, even in something fairly minor like this is a sign of weakness they don't want to admit.

Even if a sailor comes forward and says they saw it, clearly saw Iranian markings, watched it come from Iranian territory, then the response will be, "He's military so he's just going to say whatever they tell him to say".

originally posted by: roadgravel
Hey, Iran, send all of your drones out. I bet the US navy has more missiles than you have drones.

They don't want war, because that gives Israel the green light to strike and we all know what's gonna happen if the zionists get involved.

Lol that pic was posted so matter of factly


Lol

a reply to: Zaphod58

I can't really say I would understand why Iran wouldn't admit it was their drone. Different country, culture, mindset, whatever. I just don't see what they would have to lose. I would still like to hear what they have to say about it, one way or the other.

When it comes to the crew of the Boxer, I would tend to believe it if it came straight from an E-1 to E-6. Officers or CPOs, not so much. Just my experiences, I suppose.


Edit:

After thinking about it, maybe I do understand. Maybe people in power would rather lie if they fear the truth will make them look weak.

a reply to: VictorVonDoom

Every time the IRGC does something and gets away with it, it's touted as proof that God is on their side. If they admit they failed, it opens the door to God not being on their side anymore. That gives the moderates an opening they can take advantage of.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: VictorVonDoom

Every time the IRGC does something and gets away with it, it's touted as proof that God is on their side. If they admit they failed, it opens the door to God not being on their side anymore. That gives the moderates an opening they can take advantage of.

They are not the only country with that problem.

Have you ever imagined what the world would be like if people didn't give their minds, their souls, and their lives to gods and governments?

a reply to: IAMTAT

Serious question.

If it's a unmanned drone, how can it stand down? Can it understand the command to stand down? (From a command centre other than it's own that is)
So if its Iranian unmanned can it understand American standdown commands.

I would have thought it inherently programmed to ignore enemy communication commands.

Thanks in advance for a serious answer.

a reply to: CthruU

They aren't AI controlled.

There is an operator that flies it remotely from a site.

at least thats my understanding.

originally posted by: Lysergic
a reply to: CthruU

They aren't AI controlled.

There is an operator that flies it remotely from a site.

at least thats my understanding.

Oh ok i knew as much but didn't know how that operator could possibly be in touch with american communications, you'd think it would be bad practice for the drone pilot whoever/wherever he/she is to be in contact with enemy communications.