Iran Displays Model of RQ-170 US Spy Drone in Feb.11 Rallies

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) displayed a model of the United States’ RQ-170 spy plane, that was downed by the country’s Armed Forces in December after violating the Iranian airspce, during the February 11 rallies – marking the 33rd anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran.

The model has been built by the aerospace unit of the IRGC and was displayed during the pro-government rallies in Tehran on Saturday.

The Iranian ralliers took photos with the model RQ-170 spy drone, showing the enthusiasm for the country’s power in downing alien stealth aircraft.

Iran announced on December 4 that its defense forces had downed the aircraft through a sophisticated cyber attack.

The drone is the first such loss by the US. US officials have described the loss of the aircraft in Iran as a setback and a fatal blow to the stealth drone program.

The RQ-170 has special coatings and a batwing shape designed to help it penetrate other nations’ air defenses undetected. The existence of the aircraft, which is made by Lockheed Martin, has been known since 2009, when a model was photographed at the main US airfield in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

The unmanned surveillance plane lost by the United States in Iran was a stealth aircraft being used for secret missions by the CIA, US officials admitted in December.

The aircraft is among the highly sensitive surveillance platform in the CIA’s fleet that was shaped and designed to evade enemy defenses.

Source: Iran, 11 February 2012 -  Technology News (www.islamicinvitationturkey.com)

Photo: The RQ-170 spy drone in Tehran  (Photo by AFP)

(2/11/2012)