Russian Experts: US MQ-4C Triton Drone Downed by Iran’s ‘Mythical Missile’

According to the IRGC Aerospace, concurrent with the flight of a US Navy MQ-4C Triton high-altitude drone from al-Dhafrah air base of the UAE, an American maritime patrolling P-8 aircraft and an MQ-9 drone were also flying in the region while the P-8 was 16 kilometers distant from the drone.

The American drone flew toward the Strait of Hormuz and violating the Iranian First Information Report (FIR) continued its way toward Chabahar. Then after its turn, it was detected by the Iranian radar at a distance of 490 kilometers.

The radar, a product of the Iranian specialists and engineers of the Ministry of Defense, is capable of detecting three-dimensional pictures of more than 200 targets in a 500-kilometer range simultaneously.

Once the drone violated Iran’s FIR, the two sites near Jask and Kouh-e Mobarak were assigned to shoot it down. Then the two systems locked on the drone.

The detecting radar detected the target at an altitude of 12 kilometers, with a speed of 700 k/h and distance of 169 kilometers.

The 3rd of Khordad missile system locked on the drone at a distance of 120 kilometers and, after preparations, the missile was launched at a distance of 90 kilometers and the drone was shot 75 kilometers away over Iran’s territorial waters.

The drone was flying at an altitude of 14 kilometers and was increasing altitude when it was targeted.

The manned P-8 aircraft was 17 kilometers away from the drone and MQ-9, too, was nearly 17 kilometers away from MQ-4C Triton.

After downing the drone, despite ranting by the Americans, especially by the US President, there was no aggressive reaction on their side after three days. Only a number of F-22 fighters and bombers came to the region while no special military move was reported by them.

Russian military experts, after bringing down the drone, said that the drone was targeted by a “mythical missile”.

On June 20, last year,the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force announced that it used the Iran-made short-range and mid-altitude ‘Third of Khordad’ missile defense shield to bring down a US Navy MQ-4C Triton high-altitude drone over the country’s Southern coasts, releasing videos that show the flight path of the plane as well as the moment it was brought down.

The incident marked the first direct Iranian attack on US assets and came amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran. The downing of the $220mln drone was also the latest in an escalating series of incidents in the Persian Gulf since mid-May, including suspected attacks on six tankers that the US blamed on Iran. Tehran has denied any involvement in the incidents.