Pentagon says Iran fired on U.S. drone over Gulf

According to the Pentagon, the Iranian war plane made at least two passes by the slower-moving drone, firing “multiple rounds.”

And still missed! LoL!!

These are called warning shots. Or a shot across the bow.

How do you know they didn't try to hit it and miss instead?

“Our aircraft was never in Iranian air space. It was always flying in international air space,”

of course it was... the US wouldn't dream of flying a drone in Iranian air space would it??

The article does not specify which way the drone was headed before shooting meaning it may well had been Iranian Air Force and shoot at as a warning not to fly closer to Iranian air space.

in or near its airspace

I like the "in" part.

Why is the US baiting Iran with this type of aggressive activity?

Does the US wish to start a 3rd world war ?

kurisupisu, the U.S. is probably trying to find Iranian anti-ship missile systems, mine laying ships, or fast attack boats, which are all over the gulf.

Iran has threatened to use mines on civilian vessels, so I applaud the U.S. for their actions.

They were, of course, withholding that information til after the election.

Too bad they missed. Would the US permit an other nation to fly drones in or near its airspace? Not a snowball's chance in the hotspot.

Just waiting for a false flag operation on this. Lot of people would love to profit from another war/conflict.

@adjutant

Russia flies bombers over US airspace today??

I'd really appreciate a source for that assertion.

ajudunt, I'd like to see the source of your claim. Spyplanes in the stratosphere and drones below 10K ft are apples and oranges, chum.

NeverSubmit, you should first make radio contact before firing. The U.S. forces would have picked up the radio transmission if they had.

I don't buy the civility argument when someone is shooting and doesn't speak with you or to you before hand.

If the drone was inside Iranian airspace, Iran would had publicized it by now, because that would make them look good in the public. But the fact that they didn't, that it took leaked news reports a week later, shows that it was not in Iran's best interest to publicize this incident - and thus gives credence to the report that the drone was indeed in international airspace.

And since it was in international airspace, there would be no reason for Iranian jets to give warning shots. Sure, the jets could "shadow" the drone and keep an eye on it, but just like the "castle" gun laws allow you to use guns to defend your castle/home, that doesn't allow you to use your guns outside your castle/home unless in life-and-death situations. Thus, by being in international waters, the Iranian jet was not in the right to shoot or give warning - everybody, including spy and military vehicles, are allowed to traverse international waters and airspace. One may not like it, but it's allowed (see Chinese ships circling international waters around the Senkaku islands, the Japanese ships can't do anything about it, unless they enter Japanese waters).

NeverSubmit

We (military pilots) don't fire warning shots. Rounds fired A2A would go unnoticed anyway (even with tracer rounds) and serve no purpose. A missile would be visible and trackable and would serve a purpose as a 'warning shot' but missiles cost far too much to waste like this. Bottomline, we don't fire warning shots like our surface forces do.

Elbuda-san,

I always enjoy your posts. Thank you.

There is no doubt that you are right about the government of Iran.

But we have a saying, "Two wrongs don't make a right."

I cannot agree with shooting down a passenger plane with 300 people on board.

I'm sorry, but this is unforgivable.

It seems that killing non-combatant innocent women and children is quite a common act in American warfare. There has been so much of this in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Part of the U.S.A. becoming the better country you say that it can become is to change these destructive actions into peaceful ones.

Part of the U.S.A. becoming the better country you say that it can become is to change these destructive actions into peaceful ones.

Well, guess if Al Qaeda affiliates return back to peaceful actions, the U.S. may return too.

Anyways, the U.S. was, is, and will never the better country. That's been an illusion. The sooner people get that out of the way, the better it is for everybody.

And never in the history of the world has the world ever been peaceful. There's always some aggressors. Fact of life we have to live with. When the U.S. was peaceful, it was Europe or Asia or Africa. So if not the U.S., undoubtedly it'll be someone(s) else.

As to shooting down the Iranian airbus, that was a terrible mistake, Zaheer Zaheer Uddin, born out of an atmosphere of mutual mistrust. The US has a history of this kind of mistake under stress. When the Russians shot down those Korean Air passenger jets over Murmansk and Kamchatka, they were deliberate each time.

In this case the drone was pilotless, as you say, and not really comparable.

Since becoming a "national security state" in the late 1940s, it has been common M.O. for the United States to use provocation to elicit a response to justify escalation. Millions of dead Indo-Chinese can't be wrong.

A nation obsessed so strongly over about its military as the US is must be able to ensure a reliable supply of enemies, and US foreign policy has gone a long way to keep things that way.

There is no fundamental reason why the American and Iranian people shouldn't enjoy the best of relations, if not for our governments. Neither one is handling the situation very well.

Even if the benefit of the doubt is granted to the Americans let the readers know that the American Navy shot down an Iranian AirBus with nearly 300 passengers and crew members in Iranian air space. What kind of mockery is this that a pilotless military intelligence gathering aircraft is flying over the waters of Iran, BIG DEAL. Killing 300 innocent passengers versus a military toy. Get real America is provoking Iran.

From Wiki:

The Flight 655 incident was a year after the 17 March 1987, Iraqi Air Force attack on the U.S. Navy guided-missile frigate USS Stark (FFG-31). U.S. naval forces had exchanged gunfire with Iranian gunboats in the fall of 1987. The U.S. Navy guided-missile frigate USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG-58) had struck an Iranian sea mine in April 1988. Two months before the incident the US had also engaged in Operation Praying Mantis resulting in the sinking of the Iranian frigate Sahand. Tensions were therefore high in the Strait of Hormuz.

The U.S. admitted that it was an accident. The ship says they thought it was an Iranian F14 because they couldn't find any commercial flights that would send the plane directly at the ship. This proved to be incorrect (there were flights listed that would go in that direction). The U.S. paid $61.8 million in reparations to the affected families, and cashiered the commanding officer of the ship that fired the missile.

So that incident compares to this story... how?

Herve Nmn L'EisaNov 09, 2012 - 08:45AM JST

Would the US permit an other nation to fly drones in or near its airspace? Not a snowball's chance in the hotspot.

Russia did during the Cold War (when they were worse adversaries than Iran currently is) and still does today. US doesn't have a policy of shooting down Russian bombers, which are actually worse than drones.

Way to place your foot firmly in your mouth.

Even if the benefit of the doubt is granted to the Americans let the readers know that the American Navy shot down an Iranian AirBus with nearly 300 passengers and crew members in Iranian air space. What kind of mockery is this that a pilotless military intelligence gathering aircraft is flying over the waters of Iran, BIG DEAL. Killing 300 innocent passengers versus a military toy. Get real America is provoking Iran.

shoot that should say.

Correction: The navy didn't cashier the commanding officer. He retired in 1991.

It seems that killing non-combatant innocent women and children is quite a common act in American warfare. There has been so much of this in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Don't forget Pakistan - and country that is supposedly friends with the US.

tmarie

That's nice. At least our collateral damage is UNintentional. It's unfortunate that the same can't be said for our opponents.

This is funny! First, we know it is BS that these planes were only in INTERNATIONAL waters, sure, and we all believe in the tooth fairy, next the crappy Iranian jets could not shoot at a slower moving drone?? I guess our Iranian amigos need more target practice? I guess our amigos over in Moscow or Beijing can help them out a bit more.

Sounds like they need more target practice. Better send in some more drones...

According to the Pentagon, the Iranian war plane made at least two passes by the slower-moving drone, firing “multiple rounds.”

These are called warning shots. Or a shot across the bow.

Standard practice when aircraft are on a path that would invariably lead them into sovereign airspace.

If anything, perhaps the Iranians showed civility in firing only warning shots

Bertie the USA is not perfect but dude, come on! Go to Iran and criticize their government and see what happens to you and in America a Black is still the president !! Just 200 years ago Blacks were slaves, the property of the GOP, or at least their ancestors were so hey America is a fairly new country but we can change it for the better along with the rest of this messed up world. Peace to you and time for Iran to give up any funny plans of being the newest nuke power in this world because it will only be a matter of time for all hell to break loose! Who will suffer the most?? The regular Persian man and women. IMHO

the property of the GOP, or at least their ancestors

@ Elbuda, the GOP origianted in the North (Union) and after the Civil War they were the party that granted the citizneship rights to blacks, and not the Dems. The Dems were the party of slavery. You had some interesting comments, but you had to try and put partisan politics into the discussion.

Spy flights are routine. I find it funny that people on this board would take the side of Iran, and not of the USA with the "anointed one" as commander in chief. If history is a lesson (which many here don't seem to remember), when Francis Gary Powers was shot down over the USSR in his U2, the approval of that flight was given by the President (Ike). So if the USA were to indeed violate a soverign nations airspace, no commander would have the authority unless it was given by the President.

So I am going to go with it being in International airspace.

Yeah the US drone was in international airspace l believe you!!! NOT! It may have been in international airspace when the shooting occurred but was it in Iranian airspace prior to the shooting, or was it heading towards or close to their airspace? At least the Iranians I.d the target before shooting unlike the US I.e USS Vincennes......

And if they really wanted to shoot down the drone why send a CAS / strike aircraft to do it? If they really wanted it down they would have sent a fighter or interceptor....

Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone is not a “defense line” but a zone of identification marking air space.

Ajudunt must be referring to the Russian exercises last June in the Arctic region. Not quite the same as entering US airspace(mainland).

The Obama administration made no protest of the bomber intrusions, according to the officials, in line with its conciliatory “reset” policy of seeking warmer ties with Moscow. Is this how the CIC displays "more flexibility" with Putin?

kurisupisu-san,

Why is the US baiting Iran with this type of aggressive activity?

Does the US wish to start a 3rd world war ?

Having been late for the last two world wars, the U.S.A. is making COMPLETELY sure they'll be in plenty of time for the next one.

Well, in the 50's (I think) the U.S. ran squadron of bombers into Russia over the North Pole to test the Russian's radar. It was idiotic. The Russians saw them coming and thankfully did nothing about it.

It is probably difficult to hit a very slow moving small plane with maybe 200-400 mile per hour difference in air speed. The Iranians were probably scared to death of a real U.S. fighter plane and wouldn't slow down to get a good shot at it. Or, they just suck.

Still, funny that they couldn't hit Maverick.

Zaheer Zaheer Uddin-san,

Even if the benefit of the doubt is granted to the Americans let the readers know that the American Navy shot down an Iranian AirBus with nearly 300 passengers and crew members in Iranian air space. What kind of mockery is this that a pilotless military intelligence gathering aircraft is flying over the waters of Iran, BIG DEAL. Killing 300 innocent passengers versus a military toy. Get real America is provoking Iran.

This is a despicable act of violence.

The U.S.A. has strayed so far from the path of the "Land of the Free."

It's about time the U.S.A. put an end to its acts of violence and aggression.

Enough, already!

Am I supposed to be upset that a country to taking a stance on another country spying on them? Shot them down Iran - I'm sure Pakistan will cheer you on!

Obama... peace prize... whatever drone man.