Drone aircraft downed in Iran

[Luigi Gorgonzola]

Pretty long read, needs some time to understand and follow. Thanks for that AlphaOneSix!

[sobek]

That's not even the cliffs notes. ;)

[hassata]

Support for the GPS theory:

 

"In an exclusive interview, an engineer working to unlock the secrets of the captured RQ-170 Sentinel says they exploited a known vulnerability and tricked the US drone into landing in Iran."

 

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2011/1215/Exclusive-Iran-hijacked-US-drone-says-Iranian-engineer-Video

[Case]

"Even modern combat-grade GPS [is] very susceptible” to manipulation, says former US Navy electronic warfare specialist Robert Densmore, adding that it is “certainly possible” to recalibrate the GPS on a drone so that it flies on a different course. “I wouldn't say it's easy, but the technology is there.”

 

This is very interesting. I've always wondered if it is possible to broadcast a fake GPS signals to make GPS receivers think they're somewhere else. In principle it should be possible... Looks like they might've used it to make the drone think it landed on an Afghan airstrip :D

[Pilotasso]

Dose of sarcasm detected :)

[jmod]

Google chairman says Iranians are unusually talented in cyber war!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihy3bZX8t4k

[Antartis]

...

 

[RIPTIDE]

Google chairman says Iranians are unusually talented in cyber war!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihy3bZX8t4k

lol Ya. Eric would say that 'cos Iran cracked Google's POS account encryption scheme.

[MoGas]

Researchers cast doubt on Iranian GPS attack on US drone

 

http://www.airtrafficmanagement.net/view_news.asp?ID=4671

[asparagin]

Google chairman says Iranians are unusually talented in cyber war!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihy3bZX8t4k

 

"Iranians are unusually talented in cyber-warfare, for some reasons we don't fully understand.."

 

WTH kind of crap comes out from a man of his position.. he should fire himself

[asparagin]

I'm surprised that Google houses such individuals. Even I could spread panic better than.

[EtherealN]

A note on the whole notion that a military aircraft crossing another's airspace is an act of war: then sweden and finland should be in war. I don't recall the exact number, but there are quite a few border violations with armed aircraft each year. And that's aircraft that has a pilot, GPS and INS all fully functional. Similarly, back in the cold war we should have apparently been at war with NATO, since there were cases of Blackbirds entering our airspace by mistake, as well as many many cases of NATO submarines in our waters. (The NATO subs had the habit of surfacing and radioing in an "oops, sorry, we'll leave now" though.)

 

Aircraft violating other nations' airspace is not strange at all - to be a sovereign country you are, under international law, required to police your airspace. (To this end some countries that cannot afford, or does not want to obtain, a proper air force either use allies (like the baltic states) or rent coverage from friendly nations (I think it was slovenia that does this?)) Now, covering your airspace does include things like flying close to borders, and thus you will automatically have accidental violations. In this case, they might have been checking out some insurgent/taliban/whatever positions in A-stan close to Iran, which is a legitimate use as long as one accepts the fact that they are in A-stan in the first place, and this means there will be violations of Iranian air space. Doesn't have to be done on purpose to make it happen, all you have to do is fly enough missions in that area and eventually it will happen.

 

My favourite ever violation was when a cruise missile was testing at Vidsel test range, where contact with the weapon was lost (prohibiting self-destruc commands) and someone had to hurriedly call the norwegians to let them know that a cruise missile was about to enter their airspace heading for Narvik. :D

[104th_Cobra]

My favourite ever violation was when a cruise missile was testing at Vidsel test range, where contact with the weapon was lost (prohibiting self-destruc commands) and someone had to hurriedly call the norwegians to let them know that a cruise missile was about to enter their airspace heading for Narvik. :D

 

lol

That remembered me the movie Fail Safe.

 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058083/

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0235376/ (TV remake)

[joey45]

^^ LoL Dr strangelove..

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057012/

[asparagin]

Similarly, back in the cold war we should have apparently been at war with NATO, since there were cases of Blackbirds entering our airspace

 

Funny thing, that when they entered soviet airspace, the soviets acted as if nothing happened, because they didn't have the means to shoot it down and so it would have been bad propaganda.

[RIPTIDE]

Funny thing, that when they entered soviet airspace, the soviets acted as if nothing happened, because they didn't have the means to shoot it down and so it would have been bad propaganda.

Entered Soviet Airspace with what? Sr-71? I don't believe the SR-71 ever entered Soviet Airspace.

[Vekkinho]

Entered Soviet Airspace with what? Sr-71? I don't believe the SR-71 ever entered Soviet Airspace.

 

Sure...;)

[asparagin]

How about U2, you don't believe that story either?

[RIPTIDE]

How about U2, you don't believe that story either?

Which story?

[Boberro]

USSR was not able to kill anything flying high in the some part of Cold Era. They did it finally killing U2 :)

[Avilator]

USSR was not able to kill anything flying high in the some part of Cold Era. They did it finally killing U2 :)

 

With ~14 SA-2!:surprise:

The launch must have been something to see.

[mig29movt]

For anyone not believing in this story: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U-2_shootdown

 

I saw it, I touched it and I made pictures of it:

 

 

BTW: Another spy drone that went down back 1971:

 

Story: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_D-21/M-21#Operational_history

 

Accidentally or not, crashed or hacked, flying into another country's airspace isn't something that happens every day.

But if it happens between two countries which have diplomatic relations only via a third country (Switzerland in the case of the USA an Iran, btw), it doesn't improve their situation.

 

This thread is getting a little bit political and is already far in the conspiracy corner... :ufo:

[Avilator]

There's a book written by Ben Rich (the man in charge of the Skunk Works after Kelly Johnson) that goes into more detail about the U-2 and D-21 incidents. It's a very good and entertaining read.

http://www.amazon.com/Skunk-Works-Personal-Memoir-Lockheed/dp/0316743003/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324755334&sr=1-1

[mig29movt]

At http://.usaf.aib.law.af.mil have a look at the 8 Sep 2004, QF-4E-incident. As far as I understand these drones do have a mechanism to destroy the aircraft (via UHF). Well they are intended to be destroyed anyway so that's probably why they have this system. Like if the aircraft is damaged in a way it can't be controlled anymore, you can blow it up, avoiding 15+ tons of metal hitting one spot.

 

Probably the spy and other drones don't have it, although I once read that the U-2 has it, but I don't have a source for this.

 

I also read that the U-2 pilots had some poison with them to kill themselves before getting captured.

A picture of the equipment Gary Powers was carrying, I made in Moscow, shows something that could be an injection, but again my few Russian words weren't enough...

 

 

Right-lower corner

 

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/59/img5533x.jpg/

 

(Huge picture)

http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/5259/img5533x.jpg

 

Btw: Have a look at the letter on the picture :D

 

I am an American and do not speak you language. I need food, shelter and assistance. I will not harm you, I bear no malice towards your people. If you will help me, you will be rewarded.

 

Oh and btw, I was just flying above your country to take some pictures :music_whistling: :unsure:

[AlphaOneSix]

I am an American and do not speak you language. I need food, shelter and assistance. I will not harm you, I bear no malice towards your people. If you will help me, you will be rewarded.

 

This is standard text on what is called a "blood chit" and is carried by most, if not all, aircrews in combat. I carry one myself even though I'm a civilian contracted to the U.S. government.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_chit

 

Also http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo/personnel_accounting/documents/dod_policy_on_blood_chits.pdf