ISIL Claims Shooting Down Iranian Drone

Islamic Republic said today that it has shot down and Iranian Shahin drone in eastern Iraq earlier on Monday. ISIL broadcast a video reportedly showing the downed drone. There were no comments on ISIL's claim by the Iranian military. (Reuters, 29 December)

Earlier today, ISIL also claimed the killing of IRGC Brig. Gen. Hamid Taghavi, one of the most senior Iranian officer killed in Iraqi and Syrian campaigns.

Photo credit: Screenshot of ISIL video reportedly showing an Iranian downed Shahin drone (Reuters, 29 December)

Iran Shoots Down Israeli Drone - IRGC

The IRGC Aerospace Force (IRGC-ASF) announced on its website on Sunday that it has shot down an Israeli drone as it approached Natanz nuclear site. The announcement did not say when it shot down the drone, nor what type of drone was involved in the incident.

Natanz is Iran’s main uranium enrichment facility. Iran’s plans for its future enrichment capacity, however, have been a serious obstacle to a comprehensive agreement with world powers over the future of the country’s nuclear program.

The Israelis have said that if Iran nuclear talks fail to produce an agreement containing the country’s nuclear program, it could take military action to destroy Natanz facility. 

File photo: Israeli Eitan UAV (Arutz Sheva)

Iran Copies U.S. Drone

Iran said today it has successfully copied a U.S. drone it captured in December 2011. In a ceremony in Tehran, attended by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the IRGC Aerospace Force showed the captured American RQ-170 Sentinel next to its copy built in Iran. IRGC-ASF announced that its drone will be flight tested soon.

“This drone is very important for reconnaissance missions,” Khamenei said, standing in front of the Iranian copy of the American drone. (IRIB/AFP, 11 May)

Iran has developed a robust drone program, and has built 4-5 different models for reconnaissance and operations use. An Iranian TV documentary aired today showed an Iranian drone above a U.S. aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf. It was possible to see American personnel working on planes and helicopters aboard the carrier.

Photo credit: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei sitting next to the captured U.S. drone and its copy, at an IRGC Aerospace Force exhibition. Tehran, Sunday 11 May 2014 (khamenei.ir/AFP)  

Ra'ad-85 UAV/PGM killer drone

Ra'ad-85 UAV/PGM killer drone, reportedly in production

Ra’ad-85 reportedly capable of being fitted with different type PGMs dependent on mission targetting, with claimed range of 100 km.

Size perspective seen here, beside IRIA-GF Commander Brigadier General Ahmad-Reza Pourdastan

Interior of support vehicle for Ra'ad-85 UAV/PGM killer drones

Detail of Raa'd-85 interchangeable PGM element 

 Video:

Photos: Armin Karami at FARS News Agency, Amir Pourmand at ISNA, IRNA

Captured ‘Enemy Drone’ Was IRGC’s Mock Drone

Another PR Disaster Strikes Iran

Iran’s state-run Press TV reported on Sunday that the captured enemy drone was only a mock drone used as an enemy drone during the Great Prophet 8 exercises.

“Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has successfully taken control of the mock enemy's reconnaissance drone on the first day of the Payambar-e Azam 8 (The Great Prophet 8) military drills.” (Press TV, 24 February)

On Saturday, IRGC Brig. Gen. Hamid Sarkheili, the military spokesman for the exercises, told reporters that IRGC air defense units had captured a foreign spy drone near the area where IRGC units were conducting maneuvers. The IRGC general added that the forced landing of the enemy drone was captured on video and will be shown publicly is the military commanders choose to. (Fars News Agency, 23 February)

Also on Saturday, Mehr News Agency reported that IRGC had detected and observed the presence of a foreign spy drone observing the maneuvers, but the news agency did not say that the drone was captured.

Now, the Press TV is telling us that the captured enemy drone was IRGC’s own mock drone.

Note: Another PR disaster strikes Iran. On 28 January, Iran’s aerospace organization sends a monkey into the orbit but brings another one back to earth. On 2 February, with much fanfare, the president and the defense minister unveil the country’s new stealth jet fighter, Qaher-313, which turned out to be a mock-up. Yesterday, a senior IRGC general announces the capture of a foreign spy drone, only turning out to be one of IRGC’s own.

The PR disasters of the past four weeks cannot be blamed on government-run press, although they did their part in spreading the lies. There were always government officials making the announcements. The aerospace director holding the wrong monkey, the president and defense minister unveiling a mock jet fighter, and an IRGC general trying to sell us an IRGC drone as a captured enemy spy drone.

The Iranian officials need to revisit their PR strategy; it’s been unqualified disaster lately. When on Saturday, the director of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran announced the “discovery” of new uranium mines and “plans” to build 16 new nuclear power reactors; the announcements were received by skepticism. Were these discoveries and plans part of government’s negotiation tactics at Almaty? Lack of credibility can only hurt the country’s position.

Photo credit: Mehr News Agency using a Boeing promotional picture for a ScanEagle without identifying it as the photo accompanying its report on Saturday 23 February on IRGC’s observation of the “enemy” drone.

IRGC Captures A Spy Drone - Fars

Forced Landing Near Great Prophet 8 Exercises

Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency has reported that IRGC forces have force-landed a foreign spy drone inside Iran. The drone was reportedly observing the IRGC ground forces maneuvers, code named Great Prophet 8, underway near the southern city of Sirjan. The type and nationality of the captured drone have not been announced.

IRGC Brig. Gen. Hamid Sarkheili, the spokesman for Great Prophet 8 exercises, told reporters that IRGC air defense units had detected signals indicating that foreign drones intended to enter the country’s airspace, and one of them was captured near the area of the exercises. Gen. Sarkheili added that the landing of the drone has been captured on film and will be shown publicly if the military commanders so choose. (Fars News Agency, 23 February)

Earlier, Mehr, another semi-official news agency, had reported that IRGC forces observed a foreign drone near the area of the maneuvers but it did not say the drone was captured.

File photo: File photo of a drone (Mehr News Agency)  

Iran Reports Capture of U.S. Drones in 2011 and 2012

Iran says it has captured two American miniature surveillance drones in 2011 and 2012. Iran navy deputy commander Rear Adm. Rastegari told Fars News Agency that two lightweight RQ11 Raven drones were brought down by Iranian air defense units in separate incidents in August 2011 and November 2012.

“Much of the data of these drones has been decoded by the Army's jihad and research center,” Adm. Rastegari said.

The RQ11 Raven has a wingspan of 1.36 meters (4.5 feet) and a range of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) and is used by the U.S. military for low-altitude surveillance.