Iranian media report that Iran's armed forces have shot down an unmanned U.S. spy plane after it allegedly violated Iranian air space.
A U.S. official on Sunday disputed reports in the Iranian media that Iran's armed forces shot down an unmanned U.S. reconnaissance drone that violated its airspace.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said “there is absolutely no indication up to this point that the drone was shot down.”
Earlier Sunday, Iranian media reported that an RQ-170 drone was downed along the country's eastern (Afghan) border after it made a brief incursion into its airspace.
Iranian media say Iran's military shot down the U.S. drone in the country's east, but the reports do not say when the incident occurred.
NATO says operators lost control of an unmanned reconnaissance aircraft flying a mission over western Afghanistan last week. The alliance on Sunday said the aircraft referred to by Iran could be that lost drone because NATO officials have yet to determine its status.
In July, Iranian state-run media quoted an Iranian lawmaker who claimed that Iran shot down a U.S. spy aircraft near the Fordu nuclear site. Iran's Revolutionary Guard later refuted the report.
Last month, a report by the U.N. atomic energy watchdog agency strongly suggested that Iran is researching nuclear weapons.
The RQ-170 UAS Mission:
The RQ-170 is a low observable unmanned aircraft system (UAS) being developed, tested and fielded by the Air Force. It will provide reconnaissance and surveillance in support of the joint forces commander.
Background
The Air Force's RQ-170 program leverages the Lockheed Martin Advanced Development Programs and government efforts to rapidly develop and produce a low observable UAS. The RQ-170 will directly support combatant commander needs for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance to locate targets.
The RQ-170 is flown by Air Combat Command's 432nd Wing at Creech Air Force Base, Nev., and the 30th Reconnaissance Squadron at Tonopah Test Range, Nev.
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