Iranian drone plane buzzes U.S. aircraft carrier in Persian Gulf

Iranian drone plane buzzes U.S. aircraft carrier in Persian Gulf

30/05/2006 19:06

TEHRAN, May 30 (RIA Novosti) - A pilotless Iranian reconnaissance plane circled for 25 minutes over a U.S. aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf before returning safely to its base, a senior Iranian official said Tuesday.

"Our pilotless reconnaissance plane flew over the USS Ronald Reagan in the Persian Gulf unnoticed to the Americans for 25 minutes," the official said, according to Iran's Fars agency.

He did not say when the flight took place, but added that U.S. radars picked up the unmanned aerial vehicle after 25 minutes, and that four USAF fighters and two helicopters were scrambled to intercept it. However, the Iranian plane had already crossed the border back into Iran and landed at its base.

"This points to holes in the U.S. military reconnaissance systems deployed in the Persian Gulf," the Iranian official said.

Can you imagine the crew's astonishment when they found out that they were spied with total impunity?

If the story turns out to be true, then I guess, US should rethink about any future military attacks on iran.

Though iranians have not provided any evidence to back-up their claim, I really like to know if it is possible?


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KEEP IT REAL

[edit on 1-6-2006 by proprog]

If this is true, it's gotta be a wake up call for the U.S.

How would it have gotten past American radar? Stealth?

Nice story, but i cannot honestly believe that a US aircraft carrier sailing in a 'War' zone took 25 minutes to pick it up on radar.

I bet the US has a bit more to say about this

but it all makes sense.

as soon as it was picked up by radar and us aircrafts were prepared for the interception mission, the drone slipped back into iranian airspace. and I don't think us would violate iranian airspace to intercept a UAV.

I wonder when it actually happened, as the Reagan currenly is not stationed in the Persian gulf.]

From what I saw several days ago is that Iran builds its own UAVs, which does mean we aren't aware of the technolgy they use. Why wouldn't it be possible they used stealth technology. I am not sure, but I think they have some stealth planes in its air force as well.

[edit on 1-6-2006 by Mdv2]

If it's true then I just have one thing to say: OWNED! And americans loses will be far greater than in Iraq. Don't attack.

[edit on 1-6-2006 by Vitchilo]

I thinks it's BS!



Knock. Knock.

It's a little thing like reality calling...

Now if I was going to put out a story like that... I would back it up with some up close and personal reconnaissance shots/pictures.

Like a drone could outrun those aircraft... Tsk Tsk.

It comes off more like the mother of all wishful daydreams.

Maybe the US should just surrender now before this mightest of all Muslim nations.

Isn't the Iranian air corps motto...

Bark loudly and run away!

Thanks for the good laugh.

First up: Total BS.

Secondly: The comments from some of you members are so predictable I could have wrote them for you.

And lastly: Total BS, its funny how the man gives no details. Always the case...And how would he know what was scrambled? The drone? I thought that was already back in Iranian airspace? let me guess: He had Iranian spies on a stealth raft 100 feet from the carrier reporting on it as well...

I need to go wash off my shoes after wading in all this B.S.

[edit on 1-6-2006 by skippytjc]

1. USS Ronald Reagan is not in the Persian Gulf.

2. Any air craft carrier would be part of a battle group. Other ships would of shot it down.

3. Real proof would be pictures of supposed aircraft carrier from the sky, with time and date of said pictures.

4. Of course just because Iran says something took place, really means that it did (with no proof what-so-ever), and that will be accepted by a vast majority here because no matter what....the USA is evil.......

.......yet so many people still want to come and live here..........

"Our pilotless reconnaissance plane flew over the USS Ronald Reagan in the Persian Gulf unnoticed to the Americans for 25 minutes"

Perhaps this could just be down to a case of 'Alzheimers' by the crew of the Reagan

And where was the USS Ronald Reagan on May 26? Link?

www.reagan.navy.mil...

Ronald Reagan Underway Following Third Port Visit to United Arab Emirates
By Photographer’s Mate Airman Thomas C. Kuhl
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sailors from the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), Carrier Air Wing Fourteen (CVW-14), Carrier Strike Group Seven (CSG-7), and Destroyer Squadron Seven (DESRON-7) sailed back to sea after a third scheduled port visit to United Arab Emirates (UAE) May 14-18.

During the four-day port visit, Sailors enjoyed the opportunity to experience the culture of the city of Dubai while shopping and sightseeing. Additionally, Ronald Reagan’s Morale Welfare and Recreation (MWR) division offered a variety of sporting events and tours as inexpensive opportunities for Sailors to see the sights and relax.

“I participated in a walking tour offer through the USO [United Services Organization],” said Aviation Boatswain’s Mate 3 rd Class William Finnelli, a flight deck crash and salvage crewman.

“It gave me the opportunity to experience the sites and culture of the city that I most likely would not have been able to experience on my own. The tour took me to parts of the city that as a tourist, I wouldn’t usually think of going into. It gave me the chance to actually get a glimpse of every day life of the local population of Dubai ,” said Finnelli.

Some Ronald Reagan Sailors also took the opportunity to taste some traditional Arabic food and to acquire some last minute souvenirs.

“This port visit, I found the Karama, a local market place full of local artwork and crafts,” said Air Traffic Controller Third Class Brian Black. “There, I was able to find the last few mementos to make my visits to Dubai complete.”

Ronald Reagan is currently deployed in the Arabian Gulf as part of a routine rotation of U.S. maritime forces in the U.S. Fifth Fleet area of operations in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, as well as conducting Maritime Security Operations (MSO) in the region.

MSO help set the conditions for security and stability in the maritime environment, as well as complement the counter-terrorism and security efforts of regional nations. These operations deny international terrorists use of the maritime environment as a venue for attack or to transport personnel, weapons or other material.

Commissioned in 2003, Reagan is the Navy’s newest Nimitz-class nuclear powered aircraft carrier and departed San Diego Jan. 4 on its maiden deployment.

[edit on 1-6-2006 by ferretman2]

[edit on 1-6-2006 by ferretman2]

as well as conducting Maritime Security Operations (MSO) in the region.

And the persian gulf is large... And this article only talk between may 14-18, not may 26. Even if it's not in the persian gulf that happenned, what's the matter? Also, don't ever underestimate you're enemy. Sorry.

[edit on 1-6-2006 by Vitchilo]

Think about this people:

The USA has the ability to monitor 100% of all air traffic in the USA 24/7, there is not one plane in the sky that is not tracked and noted, ever.

Now, imagine a war zone for all practical purposes, the USA is operating mulitple carrier battle groups and countless ships in the area all on elevated alert. Each one with its own set of detection abilites AS WELL AS round the clock AWACS overhead. Each carrier group by itself keeps awacs in the air at all times and at least two fighters in the air at all times. All day long, day after day, month after month.

There is no way it is possible, NO WAY, that any aircraft of any type was able to loiter above a carrier battle group for 25 minutes and remain undetected. That drone would have been picked up 100 miles out by multiple aircraft and ships.

And think about the timeline, in 25 minutes that plane managed to get close to an aircraft carrier, loiter for a bit, and then make it all the way back into Iran. All undetected. Not to mention there are a couple AEGIS equiped ships in every carrier group. IMPOSSIBLE!!

The Iranian officials are a joke. And each and every statement they make (if its even true) makes them look even more silly. JOKE!

[edit on 1-6-2006 by skippytjc]

Originally posted by ferretman2

...

What are you trying to suggest with that article? That the Reagan doesn't move to other locations? The Reagan is currently somewhere in the Indian Ocean; a 2nd carrier (USS Enterprise) is heading in the direction (last week: Mediterranean, now: Red Sea) of the Gulf as well, although I am not sure whether the Gulf is its final destination.

Reagan is the newest/most-advanced Nimtiz class carrier and iranian drone managed to buzz it. What a shame.

I'm afraid, once the shooting starts, every US ship will be exposed and vulnerable. When the Iranians spring the trap, the entire lake will become a killing field.

Let us pray that the US sailors who are unlucky enough to be on duty in the Persian Gulf can escape and swim back to the coast.

I wonder if they could survive iran's awesome sunburn cruise missiles?

btw, why did americans deploy 4 fighters & 2 helis to intercept a UAV? was it a show of force after their radars failed to pick it up?

KEEP IT REAL

Originally posted by Vitchilo
If it's true then I just have one thing to say: OWNED! And americans loses will be far greater than in Iraq. Don't attack.

[edit on 1-6-2006 by Vitchilo]

You know just flat troubling the number of parents that allow their children unsupervised access to the internet.

Assuming this story is true (unlikely) where are the pictures? Wouldn’t Iran be eager to show pictures of their aircraft flying over a US super carrier?

But let’s give them the benefit of the doubt and assume it did happen. Perhaps the lack of response was due to the US Navy not wanting to tip its hands as to methods, frequencies, radar capabilities, etc…

It is often the case that an potential enemy will test defenses in order to gather intelligence regarding things like radar frequencies.


[edit on 1-6-2006 by El Tiante]

Originally posted by proprog
If the story turns out to be true, then I guess, US should rethink about any future military attacks on iran.

How is this incident going to prevent their airforce from being destroyed by stealth cruise missiles? How's it going to prevent their troops from being vapourized by napalm and thermo-bombs? Saddam Hussein was a "Regional Power" in the middle east, his army was wiped out on the scale of days. How much longer are the Iranians really going to last? How many armed stealth jets have flown over Iranian territory in the past few months, compared to this unarmed remote controlled plane? I mean, if this incident is supposed to make the US think twice, should all those undetected stealth recon flights make the Iranians think twice? Or all thouse 'advance' troops that are already in Iran right now?

Bikereddie
but i cannot honestly believe that a US aircraft carrier sailing in a 'War' zone took 25 minutes to pick it up on radar

Why? We don't know the specs on this thing, it could've been very small, and we don't know how close it got. The Iranians need to be able to sink an aircraft carrier before it launches its jets and rockets, to be able to make the US 'think twice'. If this was a war, and this thing managed to fire a missile, then the jets that were sent after it would've blasted it out of the sky, flown to its airbase, and destroyed a couple of cities before returning to the carrier.

skippy
there is not one plane in the sky that is not tracked and noted, ever.

Well, they don't track a kid's remote controlled toy plane.

I don't see why its immpossible that the iranians have some thing that could fly over, at who knows what height, an aircraft carrier. Don't see how its going to help them against invisible robotic missiles or abrahms tanks.

Originally posted by proprog
every US ship will be exposed and vulnerable.

To unarmed remote controlled 'recon' planes that don't seem to produce pictures.

And of course that threat will be irrelevant when the command and control centers are hit with MOABs and Bunker-Busters in a decapitation attack.

When the Iranians spring the trap,

What trap? A super fleet of....unarmed remote controlled recon devices?

why did americans deploy 4 fighters & 2 helis to intercept a UAV?

Perhaps a better question is why do the iranians think that their remote controlled toys are going to make a difference against multiple fleets of fighters bombers, missiles and helicopters with battle groups providing cover fire from the sea and special forces troopers blowing up their military infrastructure from within, while hordes of tanks and apcs scream in from iraq and afghanistan.

el tiante
Perhaps the lack of response was do to the US Navy not wanting to tip its hands as to methods, frequencies, radar capabilities, etc…

Or perhaps they just didn't see it for a while. *shrugs* There's no reason to think that its immpossible to 'count coup' on a aircraft carrier. Quite another think to sink it, or even fire upon it. Hell, we don't even know how close this thing got.

AWAC's are also part of every carrier group.

I don't think you can get a toy remote controled airplane that high in the air.