Iran released footage of "Breathtaking moments" of the IRGC air defense command post successfully intercepting and downing an American spy drone RQ-4A Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in the Persian Gulf on June 20, 2019. The publication coincided with the fourth anniversary of the incident, commemorating the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force's achievement
According to the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), the incident involving the downing of the Global Hawk drone took place near Kuh Mubarak on Iran's Gulf of Oman coast. The IRGC claims that the drone entered Iranian territory without adequately identifying itself. In support of their statement, they released a video that allegedly captures the engagement, showing a 3 Khordad self-propelled surface-to-air missile system launches a missile during nighttime.
CENTCOM, the US military's Central Command, verified that Iran had indeed shot down the RQ-4A unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). However, they emphasized that the UAV had never entered Iranian airspace. To support their claim, CENTCOM released an image purportedly captured by the UAV, showing the incoming missile. The image indicated that the UAV was positioned in international airspace, flying over the Gulf of Oman moments before it was targeted.
The United States military has verified that a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft was in proximity to the downed RQ-4A Global Hawk, supporting Iran's assertion that they intentionally avoided targeting the manned aircraft.
The 3 Khordad was unveiled in May 2014 during Khamenei's visit to an IRGC exhibition of new military products. At that time, it was said to be able to engage targets at a range of 50 km and an altitude of 25 km. The downing of the uav confirms Iran's ability to develop its own surface-to-air missile (SAM) capabilities.
Comments