Iran unveils own version of captured US RQ-170 stealth drone

Crescent International

Rajab 13, 1435 2014-05-12

Daily News Analysis

by Crescent International

Iran's Revolutionary Guards have successfully cloned the US manufactured RQ-170 Sentinel drone that it had captured in December 2011. At the time of its successful safe landing, the Americans first claimed it had crashed and then said its systems were too sophisticated to be copied. Iran has proved them wrong on all counts showing that people led by muttaqi leadership can achieve great things.

Tehran, Crescent-online
Monday May 12, 2014, 09:13 DST

The Rahbar (Leader) of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Seyyed Ali Khamenei, witnessed the technological achievements of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) at an exhibition in Tehran Sunday.

The showpiece of the Guards’ achievement was a domestically produced version of the US manufactured RQ-170 stealth drone that Iran had captured in December 2011 while overflying Iranian territory.

Iranian engineering and electronic experts not only overpowered the stealth drone’s computer commands landing it safely in Iran but through reverse engineering, they have also been able to produce a domestic model of it.

When the drone was first captured, the Americans claimed it had crashed due to technical problems. Within a few days Iran displayed an intact drone to the world at which point US President Barack Obama asked Tehran to return the drone!

Still in denial, the Americans then said the drone’s systems were so sophisticated the Iranians would not be able to access them. The Iranians proved them wrong again when they successfully downloaded data from the drone and showed videos of its landing in Qandahar, Afghanistan from where it had flown on its spying mission.

Within two years, Iran has now produced a copied version of the Sentinel leaving many red faces in Washington, especially at the Pentagon and in the White House.

The Revolutionary Guards also displayed other Iranian drones, including Shahed 129 and 125 at the exhibition.

At the exhibition, the IRGC Aerospace Forces displayed the design and development of radars and defense systems as well as anti-ship, ballistic and anti-shield missile systems.

Stung by Iran’s achievements in different fields despite vicious illegal sanctions imposed by the US and its Nato allies, Washington has demanded that Iran limit its missile production capability as part of the nuclear negotiations.

While visiting the Revolutionary Guards exhibition, the Rahbar denounced the Western demands as a “stupid” idea.

“They (the West) expect limits to Iran’s missile program while persistently threatening Iran with military [action]. Therefore, such an expectation is stupid and foolish,” the Rahbar said.

“The arrogant front is making efforts to bring the Iranian Ummah to its knees and force it into retreat, but it will definitely not achieve this goal,” Imam Khamenei said.

The Rahbar reaffirmed his support for “negotiations [on the nuclear issue] and initiatives in foreign policy” but said “such issues as sanctions should not be tied to negotiations.”

“The officials must resolve the issue of sanctions in another way,” Imam Khamenei advised them.

“The most important lesson of this exhibition is the proof of the talent and capability of the Iranian people for entry into difficult fields and the fields from which the enemy intends to bar them,” the Rahbar said while lauding the Guards’ achievements.

Such self-confidence can only come if people have total faith in Allah and rely on their own effort. This requires muttaqi leadership that inspires and motivates people to make great achievements in all fields of human endeavor. This is what Iran has demonstrated since the Islamic revolution in 1979.

END