MQ-9 drones are being shot down one after another, and an indication from Iran has alarmed the U.S., raising suspicions of involvement by a major power behind the scenes!
Recently, another U.S. MQ-9 "Reaper" drone was shot down in the eastern part of the Strait of Hormuz. On March 29, Iran's military announced that its defense forces' air defense units successfully intercepted and destroyed the drone. Iran stated that since the outbreak of the conflict, the number of various U.S. drones destroyed has reached as high as 138.
The MQ-9 "Reaper" drone, with a unit cost ranging from $30 million to $32 million, is a core asset for the U.S. military in executing high-altitude, long-endurance reconnaissance and precision strike missions. It is hailed as the "eyes in the sky" on the battlefield, leveraging its 27-hour endurance and precise "detect-and-destroy" capability to give the U.S. military a one-way informational advantage.
Yet this conflict has evolved into a brutal asymmetric attrition war. Iran, utilizing its integrated air defense network combined with mobile-deployed "3 Khordad" surface-to-air missile systems, poses a persistent threat to high-value but relatively immobile targets like the MQ-9.
Using a missile costing far less than the drone to destroy an asset worth tens of millions of dollars represents a highly cost-effective strategy. According to reports cited by media outlets such as CBS, citing U.S. officials, at least 11 MQ-9 drones have already been shot down, resulting in direct losses exceeding $330 million.
U.S. intelligence agencies and analysts are beginning to suspect that Iran’s air defense network—particularly its target identification and data fusion capabilities—may have received support from a major power possessing advanced military technology. Such support could include: Advanced radar systems capable of accurately distinguishing between different aircraft models and features; not only able to jam drone communications but also conduct signal characteristic analysis to assist in target identification. This would indeed complicate matters significantly.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1861055397853184/
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