The U.S. Department of Defense, the Pentagon, states that its unmanned aerial vehicle, a smaller copied version of which has reportedly made its first flight in Iran according to Tehran officials, is not significant. According to Reuters, on November 12, the Pentagon announced that the replica designed from the original drone, which fell into Iranian hands in 2011, lacks quality. Steve Warren, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Defense, said at a press conference, 'There is no way that [the copied drone] can match U.S. technology.' The drone in question is named 'RQ-170,' which came under the control of Iranian military forces in 2011. In a video released by Iran regarding the drone, it was stated that this unmanned aerial vehicle had taken off from a U.S. military base in Kandahar. The United States had requested Iran to return the drone, which Iran rejected. When asked about his opinion on the 'replica' designed from this unmanned aerial vehicle, Warren responded, 'Replica; itself is a word that explains everything.' In October 2013, Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), mentioned that 'dozens of projects are underway' based on it. This senior IRGC official stated on November 10 of this year that the drone has been 'built' and 'flown.' He promised that footage of it would be released soon. Meanwhile, a video has also been circulated on some domestic Iranian websites showing Ayatollah Khamenei attending a ceremony unveiling the 'Iranian RQ-170' drone. One of the officials present at this ceremony, explaining the 'construction' of the American drone replica, stated that Iran intends to use it 'as a bomber.' This military official mentioned that the '15 percent model' of the RQ-170 replica has 'completed its flight test.' He then stated that this year, the '40 percent model and the one-to-one model will fly.' Iranian military officials have repeatedly spoken about the construction of unmanned aerial vehicles in recent years and have unveiled some of them.
Pentagon Describes U.S. Drone Copied in Iran as Insignificant
The Pentagon has dismissed the significance of an Iranian version of the RQ-170 drone, claiming it cannot match U.S. technology. Iranian officials, however, assert that they have successfully built and tested a replica, with plans to use it as a bomber. This development highlights ongoing tensions between the U.S. and Iran regarding military capabilities.
👥 Key Players
⚡ Actions
📰 What Happened
Pentagon states Iran's copied RQ-170 drone is insignificant and lacks U.S. technology.
- U.S. Department of Defense announce Iran
- Iranian military build RQ-170 drone
- Iran reject U.S. request for drone return
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Iran's development of the RQ-170 drone replica indicates ongoing military advancements.
📝 Key Evidence
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
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