Top secret US spy drone captured by Iran

opstrat · 8 Dec 2011 at 23:32

looks like an airfix job

Domo · 9 Dec 2011 at 09:07

EdGey said:
Some nice new stealth features for China and Russia.

Could well have been done on purpose.

It's a flying wing but AFAIK it's not really stealth. And according to Aviation Week it's unlikley to have had cutting edge technology onboard. One of the reasons for this is the single engine configuration, consequently there's a much greater risk of losing one.

Domo · 9 Dec 2011 at 09:16

[TW]Fox;20753477 said:
I'm trying to play down the situation like its insignificant. Because it is - it's happened loads before and will happen again in the future.

I agree with this. It's something which has made it into the mainstream media so suddenly it's a big deal.

It's reminiscent of skirmishes on the North/South Korea border or the same thing in Kashmir. They happen all the time, day in and day out, and every now and then the media will seize on it.

I don't think this story is worthy of the attention it's getting.

elmarko · 9 Dec 2011 at 10:18

Radiation said:
The freedom to travel is a basic right, next you'll be telling me iran can take down satellites just because they happen to pass above them?

So the USA would have no problem with Iran sending unauthorised aircraft over there airspace?.

LOL.

matt_fsr · 9 Dec 2011 at 10:50

Glaucus said:
America has confirmed it lost the plane.
So it's not made up.

Just because America has lost a spy drone...

Does not mean that Iran has forced down said drone, and is now displaying it.

Why no shots with the covers off? Showing the electrics, internals, etc? :confused:

If I was Iran, I'd be knocking up a quick mock-up and showing it off to the world. The Americans will then have to work out if its a single bluff, double bluff or triple bluff?

kash786 · 9 Dec 2011 at 10:57

Go Iran!

Muzy · 9 Dec 2011 at 11:30

I think USA tried to test Iran's electronic advancement.

well they got their answer...

D.P. · 9 Dec 2011 at 11:52

Nick08 said:
I seriously can't believe they are programmed to land themselves or fly in circles untill they run out of fuel if the signal is jammed.

They must have forced it down somehow.

PRobably the GPS signal was jammed. When th UAV does not know where it is it will circle until the fuel is low and then land gently, not much else can be dene.

The MAVs I ahve worked with before did this.

godinman · 9 Dec 2011 at 11:53

Should've gotten it to take a compass bearing and fly into the sea or something.

FutileBreadMachine · 9 Dec 2011 at 12:12

Do you think this will put to rest the "US government has secret alien technology" rubbish? Or does the government waste billions on 2 branches of intelligence - 1 that uses human tech and 1 that uses alien... :rolleyes:

physichull · 9 Dec 2011 at 12:26

nrenz123 said:
We reguarly intercept the Russians flying TU-95 "Bear" bombers which are on long range missions. Half the time they enter international airspace protected by NATO, but because they havent filed a flightplan and dont respont to Air Traffic jets are scrambled to go check them out.

I haven't come across it in the times that I did QRA in the past, but it does happen.

Yes it does, it is to periodically test the UK's reaction times at scrambling fighters. I know it happened during the cold war, but not heard much about recent events?

FishFluff · 9 Dec 2011 at 12:42

Radiation said:
Exactly, so people don't own the air, it's always moving, so therefore they don't have a right to steal anything that happens to fly above their land.

So if I flew a hot air balloon with a bucket of extremely smelly dog **** directly above your house, that's totally fine as no-one owns the air am I right?????

Dirk · 9 Dec 2011 at 12:57

Team America - World Police

Egg on your face, springs to mind.

NathanE · 9 Dec 2011 at 13:03

D.P. said:
PRobably the GPS signal was jammed. When th UAV does not know where it is it will circle until the fuel is low and then land gently, not much else can be dene.

The MAVs I ahve worked with before did this.

But why not have a backup like G-sensors (which is what many SatNav products have). At least then, although not as accurate as GPS, the UAV can keep a rough idea of where it is heading etc.

The thing with jamming is, you can only do it over a certain radius. And so a UAV should be programmed to automatically try to "escape" this radius if it finds itself being jammed.

Whichever way you look at it... whilst I'm sure the hardware is top notch. The software side of these UAVs is clearly lacking!

drunken fool · 9 Dec 2011 at 13:15

physichull said:
Yes it does, it is to periodically test the UK's reaction times at scrambling fighters. I know it happened during the cold war, but not heard much about recent events?

Happens quite often, probably about once a month i would say

Tefal · 9 Dec 2011 at 13:17

assuming of course it went down due to jamming and not just a systems failure as has happened many times before....

Nelly · 11 Dec 2011 at 00:19

nrenz123 said:
We reguarly intercept the Russians flying TU-95 "Bear" bombers which are on long range missions. Half the time they enter international airspace protected by NATO, but because they havent filed a flightplan and dont respont to Air Traffic jets are scrambled to go check them out.

Seems like a waste of fuel to me, why scramble fighter jets?

It's not like their going to fly over the UK and drop a Nuclear weapon or two is it.

Ricochet J · 11 Dec 2011 at 00:24

Nelly said:
Seems like a waste of fuel to me, why scramble fighter jets?

It's not like their going to fly over the UK and drop a Nuclear weapon or two is it.

You must be the brains of your gang.

It's a show of force. Imagine the media frenzy behind a Russian Bear Heavy Bomber flying over London, or even a military installation. It symbolises many things, not least the UK's (lack of) preparedness of a similar situation.

Nelly · 11 Dec 2011 at 00:40

Ricochet J said:
It's a show of force. Imagine the media frenzy behind a Russian Bear Heavy Bomber flying over London, or even a military installation. It symbolises many things, not least the UK's (lack of) preparedness of a similar situation.

I would just wait till it's over the UK then launch a Typhoon and knock it out the sky. What can the Russians do about it - nothing.

Third Opinion · 11 Dec 2011 at 00:42

Please look at the picture in this link.

http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2011-12-08T202802Z_01_TEH03_RTRIDSP_3_IRAN-USA-DRONE.jpg

Firstly it appears to be in a school gym, secondly it has tape holding the left wing on, thirdly it is suppose to be a RQ-170.

RQ-170 drone has a 66 foot wing span. Given that a basket ball court is 94 feet this looks a tad small. Bill Sweetman the military aviation expert thinks it could be a mock up, or alternatively a scaled down low cost version. It doesn't display stealth features other than being a flying wing.

When you go to stealth with a UAV, it's not quite the same as putting it on a manned aircraft. On a piloted aircraft, you're going to have sensors on board that tell the pilot when he's being illuminated by radar. So it has a sort of responsive capability. With a simple UAV like this, you're really flying a course based on where you think the other guys radars are, and trying to avoid the peak signature, trying to keep it off the other guys radar.

Personally I think if they turned it upside down it would have 'Airfix' printed on the belly.

If it is real then they have not captured anything that will give them the technology to take over the world.

I think it is useless for anything other than a bit of fun and propaganda.

I might send the Iranian government a link to my ebay sale of on Radio gear for model aircraft.