U.S. pilot scares off Iranians with ‘Top Gun’-worthy stunt

Rodinus

Zaphod58
reply to post by Rodinus

 

Iran has every right to be in international airspace, but they don't have the right to shoot down other aircraft (manned or unmanned) in international airspace, that haven't entered their airspace, or tried to inhibit their movements in any way.

Thanks for clarifying that Zaphod, much appreciated.

Might sound like i am nit picking here but i am curious to know how the pilot judged and could prove that the Iranian fighter was an actual threat to the drone and if the US fighter pilot actually has the right to forcibly intervene over international airspace if he can prove that the Iranian pilot is/was an actual threat to the drone.

And, other question... what was a US drone doing in international airspace, as i mentioned earlier on, in the linked news story there is no mention of exactly where this happened.

Kindest respects

Rodinus

My guess is in international waters in the Persian gulf or Indian ocean probably intercepting radio traffic.

reply to post by NotAnAspie

...they are just supposed to think it's all cool for the US to send as many drones over as it wants and they should be grateful.

Yes, we are "helping". Like my ears prick up every time I hear about Humanitarian Aid. I know that probably means weapons. That and "Humanitarian Corridors". Just an excuse to cross a countries borders on the ground (begin an invasion).

We are not blind. Many are "conditioned" though. And others are just practicing out and out deception. Good to hear from someone else that is not fooled in the least.

Inspiring...

reply to post by NotAnAspie


Of course its a spy plane question is who were they spying on. Russian trawlers are all ways in the persian gulf then theres Saudi Arabia and of course Chinese in the area then theirs the Iranians or could be monitoring arms deals. As they say pick one doesnt matter why they were there. As for Guam thats been US territory since the Spanish american war it was turned oner to the United States by spain as part of the peace deal. Didnt really have any significance until Japan takes it in 1941. Had nothing to do with China so please if your going to try that whole the west is evil thing at least get your facts straight.

reply to post by Shugo

Again, where did he say it was a spy plane?

I'll say it. Drones are spy planes.

What different would it make if it was?

Its not the spies that matter as much as what follows them (invasion). You are right it makes no difference to them what type. They have captured a number of them. Remember this?

It was on an anti-piracy mission, apparently some of you don't keep up with problems going on in the region.

Yah, we heard. Benevolent US drones searching huge oceans for "pirate activity". Little tiny boats that might harbor a few pirates. Can't hardly see them among the other hundred thousand little fishing vessels in the same bit of ocean, but thats okay, the bad guys wear "terrorist" labels on their hats so we can ID them. As far as "problems" go in the region? Iran has invaded how many countries around there, again? And the US?

Many (different) drone overflights have invaded Iranian airspace numerous times.

intrptr
I'll say it. Drones are spy planes.

And I'll say it. Not all drones are spy planes. Check your facts.
In this case *I* will say the aircraft was being used as a recon craft to patrol for pirate activity in the open waters. However, there are many roles of a drone.

Its not the spies that matter as much as what follows them (invasion). You are right it makes no difference to them what type. They have captured a number of them. Remember this?

What does the captured RQ-370 - which by the way was followed by no invasion as you imply - have to do with an RQ-1?

Yah, we heard. Benevolent US drones searching huge oceans for "pirate activity". Little tiny boats that might harbor a few pirates. Can't hardly see them among the other hundred thousand little fishing vessels in the same bit of ocean, but thats okay, the bad guys wear "terrorist" labels on their hats so we can ID them.

Someone is apparently unfamiliar with the fact that there are certain activities one can observe on a boat harboring pirates. Because you know, a fishing vessel's crew looks so much like a shipload of pirates. I think you're confusing the Johnny Depp version of pirates with actual pirates in the modern day.

as far as "problems" go in the region? Iran has invaded how many countries around there, again? And the US?

And that has what to do with this, since we invaded no countries?

Many (different) drone overflights have invaded Iranian airspace numerous times.

Would you please supply evidence to support any of these were performed using an RQ-1 as was used in this case? Can you also tell me the reason that has anything to do with the fact that the craft was over international waters?

Oh so amusing and cheeky, but poorly thought out and kinda stupid action by the Raptor pilot.

Take the ASS out of this and think about it again. Had the Iranian pilots responded in an agressive manner to the appearance of the F22, this could have (literally) started a war.

Or, to look at it another way, he blew his cover. Had the Iranians fired on the drone they would never have known he was there if he was given permission to fire on them. Not much point in having an multi-million dollar stealth aircraft if the pilot is going to grandstand and get on the horn to the bad guys is there?

Yes, its all "hoo-rah Murica!" but its not big and not clever really. This sort of thing can have real world consequences.

reply to post by neformore


But at the same time, a warning from an AWACS that there is something in the area protecting the Predator doesn't do a damn bit of good if he can't see that there's anything there. So the Raptor pilots had to make themselves visible.

reply to post by NotAnAspie


reply to post by intrptr


So Piracy isn't a problem there huh?

Somali pirates hijacked 46 ships in 2009, 47 in 2010, but only 25 in 2011, an indication that new on-board defences were working. In 2012, there were 75 attacks reported off Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden – down from 237 in 2011 – and only 14 ships were hijacked, according to the International Maritime Bureau.

www.theguardian.com...

MOGADISHU, Somalia -- A pirate commander in Somalia says that a cargo ship was freed after being held captive for nearly two years.

Hassan Abdi said Saturday that a $600,000 ransom was paid for the MV Orna on Friday. But he said six hostages are still being held by the pirates on land. Pirates shot and killed one of the ship's crew members in August over delayed ransom payments.

www.huffingtonpost.com...

(CNN) -- A round-the-world boating adventure ended tragically Tuesday for four Americans, whom pirates fatally shot after capturing their yacht in the Indian Ocean last week, U.S. officials said.
The 58-foot vessel, named the Quest, was being shadowed by the military after pirates took the ship off the coast of Oman on Friday. Officials had said earlier Tuesday it was less than two days from the Somali coast.
Ship owners Jean and Scott Adam and Phyllis Macay and Bob Riggle were found shot after U.S. forces boarded the vessel about 1 a.m. ET, officials said.

www.cnn.com...

That's just a microscopic fraction of what's been going on in the region with pirates. You know WHY piracy is down 75% this year?

eunavfor.eu...
www.theguardian.com...
www.jeffhead.com...
en.rian.ru...

But of course you two "enlightened ones" are right. The ONLY reason there could POSSIBLY be US forces in the area is to mess with Iran, and bully them, and force them into a war. The US never does anything to try to be helpful or anything.

reply to post by Zaphod58


Nope.

Its bravado.

If the Iranians were stupid enough to fire on the Predator and two of their planes disappeared, thats their problem.

However admitting you have stealth in the area, and then showing it, now leaves the USAF open to claims that planes have been shot down by stealth aircraft.

Its dumb.

The US used stealth aircraft in the region 1991. Doubt the idea of them being around today is a surprise or not a given.

neformore
However admitting you have stealth in the area, and then showing it, now leaves the USAF open to claims that planes have been shot down by stealth aircraft.

You are aware that people can physically see the Raptors? Correct?

They were aware that 'stealth' was in the area, the day they arrived.

The Iranians have local intelligence within spitting distance of every US base in the ME.

Just like the Israelis, Saudis, Turks, US (to everybody else's bases), Russians, Chinese, French, British...etc. This is an extremely complex area, everybody is everywhere, nobody knows exactly who everybody else is, or who they are reporting too, and allegiances change in the blink of an eye.

reply to post by neformore


You think they weren't aware that F-22s were flying out of bases in the area?

But you're right, the F-22 pilot was just showing off. The fact that if he had waited there was a good chance we would have lost the asset he was escorting doesn't matter. The fact that warning them off actually kept an incident from happening is irrelevant. All that matters is he got to show off.

reply to post by Shugo

--
There's really no point in explaining it to these user's. Its like banging your head against a brick wall multiple times explaining to these people that the sky is blue and they insist its green.

Its all really good showmanship, nobody fired a shot over international waters.

But the usual folks will come on here and claim America was the evil one of course, it gets old.

Yes these kinds of things have real world effects, but NOBODY IS THAT DUMB, even to these "particular" users, favorite, Love of there lives, precious Iranians, because of course, the Iranians NEVER DO ANYTHING WRONG.

Pfff, whatever. USA = 1,000,000 Iran = 0

reply to post by roadgravel


that has to be one of the funniest facetious comments that I have read in months.
the savings are piling up. LOL

reply to post by Zaphod58


Well I am looking at this thinking that F-4 pilot is going to be a great spokesman for us now. Just imagine him telling his fellow pilot buddies how he thought he was all alone about to take out a drone then all of a sudden there was a F-22 on his wing saying that's a no, no.

I think his buddies may think twice about trying the same from here on out. Then again the Iranian military may have secluded him from everyone else to keep that from happening. Who knows.

reply to pthe raptor by peck420


I've probably forgotten more about the Raptor than you know.

There's not a plane in the world that can be seen beyond visual range (hence the term) and thalat is where the Raptor was designed to live and operate from, and where the pilot should have been.

reply to post by Zaphod58

So the defenseless drone was being protected by a raptor that the F4 pilot never saw.

What the Raptor pilot, AWACS and dumb drone didn't know was a Russian PAK FA was protecting the F4 and nobody knew he was there at all.

The future of Stealth on all sides is here.

reply to post by Zaphod58


Yep. He was showing off.

You can try and sugar coat it any way you want, but he was.

UAV's are expendable by design. Otherwise they'd have pilots in them.

reply to post by Zaphod58

You're right , I don't know there was A Russian stealth fighter there or not, anymore than you can prove whether the F4 had scrambled on the drone over Iranian airspace.

Why else would it be closing on it and why else would the Raptor be there but to interdict?

neformore
reply to pthe raptor by peck420

 

I've probably forgotten more about the Raptor than you know.

There's not a plane in the world that can be seen beyond visual range (hence the term) and thalat is where the Raptor was designed to live and operate from, and where the pilot should have been.

Im not sure what was said but i know when you see this statement you said somethng stupid and dont want to admit it.