U.S. Drone in ‘Full Stealth Mode’ and Actively Spying When Downed by Iranian Defences

Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations Majid Takht Ravanchi has claimed that the U.S. drone downed by the country’s Revolutionary Guard Corps was carrying out active surveillance and in ‘full stealth mode’ when when it allegedly entered Iranian airspace and was neutralised. The ambassador stated: "A U.S. unmanned aircraft system, taken off from one of the bases of the U.S. military forces in the South of the Persian Gulf, conducted an overflight through the Strait of Hormuz to Chabahar port in a full stealth mode as it had turned off its identification equipment and engaged in a clear spying operation.. When the [U.S.] aircraft was returning towards the western parts of the region near the Strait of Hormuz, despite repeated radio warnings, it entered into the Iranian airspace where the air defence system of the Islamic Republic of Iran, acting under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, targeted the intruding aircraft at 04:05 hours local time on the same date at the coordinates N255943 and E570225 near the Kouh-e Mobarak region in the central district of Jask in the Islamic Republic of Iran.” The downing comes at a time of heightened tensions between the United States and Iran, with the former increasing economic sanctions and deploying considerable forces to the Persian Gulf region while the latter has increased uranium enrichment levels and indicated it could begin pursuit of nuclear weapons. The United States claimed Iran downed an MQ-4C Triton surveillance drone, but later amended this statement and claimed the downing of an Northrop Grumman RQ-4A Global Hawk. The two platforms are highly similar, the former a close derivative of the latter, with the Triton operated by the U.S. Navy wile the Global Hawk is primary operated by the U.S. Air Force.

Ambassador Ravenchi further stated regarding the downing of the drone: “The international community is called upon to demand the United States to put an end to its continued unlawful and destabilising measures in the already volatile region of the Persian Gulf… This is not the first provocative act by the United States against Iran’s territorial integrity. It is reminded that in all such cases, the Islamic Republic of Iran has officially protested to the U.S. through its interests section in the Embassy of Switzerland in Tehran.” The United States reportedly considered carrying out airstrikes in response to the Iranian downing of its aircraft, although it refrained from doing so likely due to the threat of Iranian retaliation. The Global Hawk costs an estimated $222 million per aircraft, and the platform represents one of the most advanced Western drones in service. With an endurance of over 32 hours, a 40 meter wingspan and a high 18km operational altitude it is in many respects the most formidable unmanned surveillance platform ever developed for the United States military. The incident represents one of the only times Iran has been able to test its indigenous air defence platforms in combat, with the new Khordad 15 air defence system credited with the kill by Iranian sources. How the United States will respond to the incident remains to be seen.