USS Abraham Lincoln SG is currently 500nm SOUTH of Iran…
A U.S. Navy fighter jet shot down an Iranian drone that was approaching the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea, U.S. Central Command said Tuesday, threatening to ramp up tensions as the Trump administration warns of possible military action to get Iran to the negotiating table.
The drone “aggressively approached” the aircraft carrier with “unclear intent” and “continued to fly toward the ship despite de-escalatory measures taken by U.S. forces operating in international waters,” Central Command spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins said in a statement Tuesday.
Full article HERE from Military Times.
Of note, this was a drone, not a manned aircraft, and there are questions how many of those aircraft the Iranians actually have that are flyable.
This crap brings back memories of the BEAREXs we used to have to deal with. That was when a USSR Bear or May would close the strike group, trying to sneak in and get pictures/close approach the ships. The standard response was to use F-14s to ‘push’ the Bear/May out by maneuvering to block them, but the US reserved the right to fire on those aircraft if they did not turn away.
It is apparent in this case, the drone didn’t turn away, so the Iranians were ‘testing’ the US resolve, checking to see if they would actually shoot it down. Now they know…
The Shahed 139 does have a missile capability, in addition to being capable of EO/IR surveillance, with a range of approximately 2000nm. This is not a ‘throwaway’ drone. It appears the Iranians are ‘claiming’ it was actually a Shahed 129, but they don’t have the range to go out 500nm and make it back to shore, so that doesn’t make sense. Also, I’d trust the visual ID of the pilots over the Iranians. I’m betting there are pictures and video of the drone and the shoot, not that we’ll ever see it.
Missile or guns? What does a drone cost? What does a missile cost?
The real question is what does the ship that the drone was threatening cost?
Spent a little time tracking a Bear or two. Lighting them up with an A/N SPG-60 makes them nervous.
Hey Old NFO,
THere is a new Sheriff in town, the various gray canoes the Navy has don’t have restrictive R.O.E. like before, as the Iranians found out….again.
X2
That drone was a valuable piece of hardware. Throwing it away in that manner doesn’t seem to be a smart military maneuver.
Does the pilot get to paint a drone on his aircraft?
I think you mean “does the Crew Chief get to paint a drone on the aircraft he lets the pilot fly?” 🙂
Needs to be SOP. Come anywhere near a US ship and get shot down/sunk. Period. No questions asked.
Art/Rob- No idea if they went guns or missile. Way too much! 12 billion is a ‘good’ figure.
Rey- LOL, good point!
Bob/WSF/Dan- It IS SOP, now back to what it should be!
Jess- Point, but they are ‘testing’ our resolve.
Gregg/Rick- LOL, yes and yes.
End of regime economics are not the same as early regime economics.
Value is subjective to the decision makers, and will probably be unlike what your valuations would be.
See also, busting out, when a criminal enterprise has taken over a formerly legitimate organization or institution.
This is maybe all psychological now, and hence a lot of poorly documented or not well understood stuff potentially possible.
Bob- Excellent point!
500 nanometers?(500nm) Rest of the article is good