United States' RQ-170 seizure by Iran
Iranians claim to have spoofed the GPS to make it think it was landing at home.
http://www.csmonitor.com/layout/set/print/content/view/print/437272
This photo released on Thursday, Dec. 8, by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, claims to show US RQ-170 Sentinel drone which Tehran says its forces downed last week, as the chief of the aerospace division of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, right, listens to an unidentified colonel, in an undisclosed location within Iran.
(Sepahnews/AP)
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/12/13/world/meast/iran-spy-plane/index.html?iref=obinsite
The Christian Science Monitor - CSMonitor.com
Exclusive: Iran hijacked US drone, says Iranian engineer
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.This photo released on Thursday, Dec. 8, by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, claims to show US RQ-170 Sentinel drone which Tehran says its forces downed last week, as the chief of the aerospace division of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, right, listens to an unidentified colonel, in an undisclosed location within Iran.
(Sepahnews/AP)
Istanbul, TurkeyIran guided the CIA's "lost" stealth drone to an intact landing inside hostile territory by exploiting a navigational weakness long-known to the US military, according to an Iranian engineer now working on the captured drone's systems inside Iran.
Iranian electronic warfare specialists were able to cut off communications links of the American bat-wing RQ-170 Sentinel, says the engineer, who works for one of many Iranian military and civilian teams currently trying to unravel the drone’s stealth and intelligence secrets, and who could not be named for his safety.
Using knowledge gleaned from previous downed American drones and a technique proudly claimed by Iranian commanders in September, the Iranian specialists then reconfigured the drone's GPS coordinates to make it land in Iran at what the drone thought was its actual home base in Afghanistan.
...More recently, Iran was able to hack Google security certificates, says the engineer. In September, the Google accounts of 300,000 Iranians were made accessible by hackers. The targeted company said "circumstantial evidence" pointed to a "state-driven attack" coming from Iran, meant to snoop on users.
Iranian electronic warfare specialists were able to cut off communications links of the American bat-wing RQ-170 Sentinel, says the engineer, who works for one of many Iranian military and civilian teams currently trying to unravel the drone’s stealth and intelligence secrets, and who could not be named for his safety.
Using knowledge gleaned from previous downed American drones and a technique proudly claimed by Iranian commanders in September, the Iranian specialists then reconfigured the drone's GPS coordinates to make it land in Iran at what the drone thought was its actual home base in Afghanistan.
...More recently, Iran was able to hack Google security certificates, says the engineer. In September, the Google accounts of 300,000 Iranians were made accessible by hackers. The targeted company said "circumstantial evidence" pointed to a "state-driven attack" coming from Iran, meant to snoop on users.
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/12/13/world/meast/iran-spy-plane/index.html?iref=obinsite
Ahmadinejad: Iran has 'been able to control' U.S. drone
December 13, 2011 -- Updated 2243 GMT (0643 HKT)
Iranian officials display what they say is an unmanned U.S. spy plane brought down in Iran last week.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- The spy plane belongs to Iran, defense minister says
- President Obama has asked Iran to return the drone
- "There are people here who have been able to control this spy plane," the Iranian president tells VTV
- U.S. officials have said that the missing drone was part of a CIA reconnaissance mission
(CNN) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday that his country has "been able to control" the U.S. drone that Iran claims it recently brought down, Venezuelan state TV reported.
"There are people here who have been able to control this spy plane," Ahmadinejad told VTV. "Those who have been in control of this spy plane surely will analyze the plane's system. Furthermore, the systems of Iran are so advanced also, like the system of this plane."
Interesting, the Iranians claim to have hacked into the drone and that's why they say they have it in one piece. Somebody put in a keylogger into US drone operations, Iran would be a good bet, though that's not good enough to control a drone. US people say it probably got into a flat spin would would make it land on its belly with a few dents, which is what the Iranian photo seems to show.
Obama's got everything covered, he's asked the Iranians nicely to give it back.
Obama's got everything covered, he's asked the Iranians nicely to give it back.
OBAMA'S STRATEGY ON RETRIEVING DRONE DOWNED IN IRAN
When asked what Obama's strategy was for the retrieval of the state-of-the-art drone that went down in Iran, the Obama said:
"We've asked for it back."
Was I the only one who burst out laughing when he said that? Has the country gone deaf?
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(
Downing of American RQ-170 Sentinel
Date December 4, 2011 Location Kashmar, Iran Result Downing and seizure of the US RQ-170 by the Iranian Armed Forces electronic warfare unit
Belligerents 
Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran
United States Air Force Central Intelligence Agency
On December 4, 2011, an American RQ-170 Sentinel unmanned aerial vehicle crashed near the city of Kash
mar, Iran.
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Belligerents | |||||||
| Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran | United States Air Force Central Intelligence Agency | ||||||
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[edit] Downing of the drone
The government of Iran claims that the aircraft was downed by Iranian anti-aircraft fire and/or by the Iranian Army's electronic warfare unit stationed near Kashmar.[1][2][3][4] The government of the United States claims that its forces in Afghanistan have lost control of a UAV on December 4, 2011 and that there is a possibility that this is the vehicle that crashed near Kashmar. According to unnamed US officials, a US UAV was flying on the Afghan side of the Afghanistan-Iran border when its operators lost control of the vehicle.[5][6]
[edit] Seizure of the drone
Artist rendition of the drone
Iran claims that its forces had downed an RQ-170 that violated Iranian airspace along its eastern border and captured the lightly damaged wreckage of the UAV, claiming that they had succeeded in overriding its controls.[7] The Iranian government released footage of an alleged captured RQ-170 on 8 December.[8] The drone appeared to be largely intact, except for the minor visible damage on its left wing. Dan Goure, an analyst at the Lexington Institute, has stated the largely intact airframe ruled out the possibility of an engine or navigational malfunction: "Either this was a cyber/electronic warfare attack system that brought the system down or it was a glitch in the command-and-control system." [9] The Department of Defense released a statement acknowledging that it had lost control of a UAV during the previous week, claiming that it was "flying a mission over western Afghanistan" when control was lost. The statement did not specify the model of the aircraft. The U.S. government also stated that it was still investigating the cause of the loss.[10]
[edit] US acknowledgement
On 6 December, U.S. officials acknowledged that a drone crashed in or near Iranian airspace and that this belonged to the CIA and not to ISAF as was earlier stated. US officials did not state that the drone shown on Iranian television was actually a real RQ-170 (which has been public knowledge since 2009),[11] although a former U.S. official confirmed that the drone shown on the Iranian state media was a US RQ-170, used for surveillance of Tehran's nuclear facilities.[12] On 5 December, U.S. military sources confirmed that the remains of an RQ-170 had been captured by Iranian forces. However, media reports indicated that various U.S. officials have declined to confirm whether or not the drone in the video released by Iranian state television was authentic.[13] On December 8, a senior U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Washington Post that the U.S. cannot be certain the drone shown was real because the U.S. does not have access to it, but also stated that "We have no indication that it was brought down by hostile fire."[10] A second senior U.S. military official said that a major question is how the drone could have remained "virtually intact," given the high altitude at which it is thought to have crashed. U.S. Navy Captain John Kirby, a Pentagon spokesman, told a news conference on December 8 that Pentagon analysts were examining the video.[14] Both Kirby and fellow spokesman George Little would not comment further on whether the U.S. military believed the drone was the one missing, both did say that the missing drone had not been recovered.[14] However, later that day, CBS reported that the US officials have confirmed in private, the authenticity of the drone shown by the Iranians. [15]
John E. Pike, director of GlobalSecurity.org told CNN that the video images that the aircraft did not look the way he would expect it to look after a crash. However, military aviation expert Bill Sweetman told CNN he believed that the drone displayed was real. Sweetman stated that it was most likely that the Iranians did not shoot down the plane (citing the lack of burn marks, holes, or outward damage), or hack into the system. Instead, Sweetman speculated on CNN that a system failure downed the plane, and that the plane could be intact from a what is known as a "flat spin" or "falling leaf departure," which would result in damage to the belly of the aircraft but little damage to other components. Sweetman noted a dent along the leading edge of the aircraft, noting that "The question is did that happen in the accident or whether they took them off to move the aircraft."[14]
[edit] Complaint to security council
On December 9, Iran lodged a formal complaint to the United Nations Security Council over the UAV entering its air space. The New York Times reported that the complaint "appeared to have been made more for its propaganda value than for any Iranian hope of Security Council action" and that it was "highly unlikely that the Council would punish the United States, one of the five permanent members with veto power".[16]
Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from RQ-170 Sentinel)
 | It has been suggested that United States UAV seizure by Iran be merged into this article or section. (Discuss) Proposed since December 2011. |
| RQ-170 Sentinel | |
|---|---|
| |
| Artist's rendering | |
| Role | Unmanned aerial vehicle |
| Manufacturer | Lockheed Martin |
| Introduction | 2007 |
| Primary user | United States Air Force |
RQ-170s have been reported as having operated in Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. It has been confirmed that the UAVs have operated over Pakistan and Iran; operations over Pakistan included sorties which collected some of the intelligence which led to the death of Osama bin Laden in May 2011.
In December 2011, Iranian armed forces claimed to have hacked and captured a RQ-170 flying over their country. The U.S. military has acknowledged losing a RQ-170 in the region but has yet to publicly acknowledge that the UAV shown on Iranian television is the missing American drone. However, according to CBS News, U.S. officials have confirmed, in private, the authenticity of the drone shown by the Iranians.
It has also been reported that RQ-170s have been deployed to South Korea to undertake trials ahead of possible operations over or near North Korea.
Contents[hide] |
[edit] Development
The RQ-170 Sentinel was developed by Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works as a stealth Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). Journalists have noted design similarities between the RQ-170 and previous stealth and UAV programs such as the RQ-3 DarkStar and Polecat.[1][2] It is a tailless flying wing aircraft with pods, presumably for sensors or SATCOMs, built into the upper surface of each wing. Few details of the UAV's characteristics have been released, but estimates of its wingspan range from approximately 65 feet (20 m)[3] to 90 feet (27 m).[4]The "RQ" designation indicates that the RQ-170 Sentinel does not carry weapons.[5] Aviation Week's David A. Fulghum believes that the UAV is probably a "tactical, operations-oriented platform and not a strategic intelligence-gathering design".[3]
The USAF confirmed the "grainy photos of a gray, flying-wing-typed unmanned airplane near Kandahar Airfield"[6] Since then, this aircraft has been known as "The Beast of Kandahar" in relation to the discussion of the RQ-170 Sentinel on 4 December 2009.[3][7] A USAF colonel subsequently commented that RQ-170 is separate from the MQ-X program, which has yet to determine stealth or powerplant requirements, and thus the Sentinel will not replace the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper drones currently in service.[8] As of May 2011[update], the U.S. military had not released any statements concerning the Sentinel since December 2009.[9]
[edit] Design
The RQ-170 has a flying wing design containing a single (as yet classified) engine and is estimated by Aviation Week as being approximately 66 feet in wingspan.[10] Its takeoff weight is estimated as being greater than the RQ-3 DarkStar's, which was 8,500 pounds. The design lacks several elements common to stealth engineering, namely notched landing gear doors and sharp leading edges. It has a curved wing planform, and the exhaust is not shielded by the wing.[10] Aviation Week postulates that these elements suggest the designers have avoided 'highly sensitive technologies' due to the near certainty of eventual operational loss inherent with a single engine design and a desire to avoid the risk of compromising leading edge technology.[10] The publication also suggests that the medium-grey colour, implies a mid-altitude ceiling, unlikely to exceed 50,000 feet since a higher ceiling would normally be painted darker for best concealment.[10] The postulated weight and ceiling parameters suggests the possible use of a General Electric TF34 engine, or a variant in the airframe.[10]On the basis of the few publicly-available photographs of the RQ-170, aviation expert Bill Sweetman has assessed that the UAV is equipped with an electro-optical/infrared sensor and possibly an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar mounted in its belly fairing. He has also speculated that the two undercarriage fairings over the UAV's wings may house datalinks and that the belly fairing could be designed for modular payloads, allowing the UAV to be used for strike missions and/or electronic warfare.[11] The New York Times has reported that the RQ-170 is "almost certainly" equipped with communications intercept equipment as well as highly sensitive sensors capable of detecting very small amounts of radioactive isotopes and chemicals which may indicate the existence of nuclear weapons facilities.[12]
Following Iranian claims of downing an RQ-170 near the Afghan border in December 2011, Iranian TV showed video footage of what appears to be an advanced unmanned U.S. aircraft that most closely resembles the RQ-170 UAV. In the footage, a member of the Iranian revolutionary guard released dimensions of the aircraft, including a wingspan of about 26 metres (85 ft), a height of 1.84 metres (6.0 ft), and a length of 4.5 metres (15 ft).[13]
[edit] Operational history
 External images | |
|---|---|
 | An RQ-170 Sentinel operating over Afghanistan[3] |
| Left view of a taxiing Sentinel[14] |
| Rear view of a Sentinel[4] |
| Taxiing |
In December 2009, South Korea's JoongAng Daily newspaper reported that the RQ-170 Sentinel had been test-flown in South Korea for the past few months and that it was expected that they would be permanently deployed in 2010 to replace Lockheed U-2 reconnaissance aircraft operating from Osan Air Base.[18] In response to this report, Bill Sweetman argued that the Sentinel's deployments to Afghanistan and South Korea were probably undertaken to monitor Pakistan and North Korea's ballistic missile programs.[19]
In August 2010, it was reported that RQ-170s either had been or were about to be redeployed to Afghanistan and that the UAVs had been fitted with a full motion video capability.[20] The missions performed by these aircraft included flying dozens of high-altitude sorties over Pakistan to monitor a compound in the town of Abbottabad where Osama bin Laden was believed to be living. On the night of 1/2 May 2011, at least one RQ-170 monitored the area while elements of the United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group launched an assault on the compound which resulted in bin Laden's death. The aircraft provided footage of the attack which was watched live by President Barack Obama and his senior national security advisors. The RQ-170 also monitored Pakistani military radio transmissions in the area to provide warning of the response to the attack.[21] On 27 May the Los Angeles Times reported that Pakistani officials were "alarmed" by the use of the RQ-170 over their country as the drones are "designed to evade radar and other surveillance systems, and can be used as a spy plane".[22]
[edit] Confirmed seizure by Iran
Main article: United States' RQ-170 seizure by Iran
The Iranian government released footage of an alleged captured RQ-170 on December 8.[31] The drone appeared to be largely intact, except for minor damage on its left wing. Dan Goure, an analyst at the Lexington Institute, stated the largely intact airframe ruled out the possibility of an engine or navigational malfunction: "Either this was a cyber/electronic warfare attack system that brought the system down or it was a glitch in the command-and-control system".[32] On December 8, a senior U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Washington Post that the U.S. cannot be certain the drone shown was real because the U.S. does not have access to it, but also stated that "We have no indication that it was brought down by hostile fire."[29] A second senior U.S. military official said that a major question is how the drone could have remained "virtually intact," given the high altitude from which it is thought to have crashed. U.S. Navy Captain John Kirby, a Pentagon spokesman, told a news conference on December 8 that Pentagon analysts were examining the video.[33] Later that day, CBS reported that US officials have confirmed in private that the drone displayed by the Iranians is genuine.[34]
John E. Pike, director of GlobalSecurity.org told CNN that the video images of the aircraft did not look the way he would expect it to look after a crash. However, military aviation expert Bill Sweetman told CNN he believed that the drone displayed was real. Sweetman stated that it was most likely that the Iranians did not shoot down the plane (citing the lack of burn marks, holes, or outward damage), or hack into the system. Instead, Sweetman speculated on CNN that a system failure downed the plane, and that the plane could be intact from a what is known as a "flat spin" or "falling leaf departure," which would result in damage to the belly of the aircraft but little damage to other components. Sweetman noted a dent along the leading edge of the aircraft and indications that the outer wings have been separated, noting that "The question is did that happen in the accident or whether they took them off to move the aircraft."[33]
On December 9, Iran lodged a formal complaint to the United Nations Security Council over the UAV entering its airspace. The New York Times reported that the complaint "appeared to have been made more for its propaganda value than for any Iranian hope of Security Council action" and that it was "highly unlikely that the Council would punish the United States, one of the five permanent members with veto power".[35]
[edit] Operators
- United States
[edit] Specifications (RQ-170)
Data from [36]
General characteristics- Wingspan: 85 ft (26 m) estimated[dubious ]
- Height: 6 ft (1.8 m) estimated
- Powerplant: 1 × Garrett TFE731 or General Electric TF34[10] turbofan
- Service ceiling: 50,000 ft (15,240 m) (estimated)
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