A model of the US RQ-170 downed by Iranian forces[/caption]Brigadier General Amir-Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Division, says that Iranian experts have been able to obtain more information about the US downed RQ-170 Sentinel reconnaissance drone.
Hajizadeh said on Wednesday that information obtained from the complicated system of RQ-170 would be unveiled on the anniversary of the drones downing by the Iranian forces. The RQ-170 was downed by the Iranian Army's electronic warfare unit on December 4, 2011 when flying over the Iranian city of Kashmar, some 140 miles (225km) from the Afghan border.
The RQ-170 is an unmanned stealth aircraft designed and developed by the Lockheed Martin Company.
Hajizadeh had announced in July that Iran plans to duplicate the RQ-170, saying that Iranian experts have obtained many important operational, information, and technological information by carrying out reverse engineering on the drone. The Iranian commander added that, however, Iran does not plan to publicize this information.
In April, the Iranian commander said Iran has cracked drones codes and obtained all the information on its memory, including protocols, repairs and flight sorties; for instance, the data of a flight after repairs in 2010 or the [drones] deployment in the operation against [slain al-Qaeda leader Osama] bin Laden in Pakistan.
Comparingthe RQ-170 drone and the Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit, Fars News Agency, an Iranian media affiliated with the IRGC, says the two aircrafts make use of similar technology. B-2 Spirit is an American strategic bomber, featuring low observable stealth technology designed for penetrating dense anti-aircraft defenses. It is able to deploy both conventional and nuclear weapons.
Some experts believe that B-2 bombers will comprise the main part of US forces in a possible attack against Iran. Therefore Iran obtaining information about the RQ-170 drone will shed light on the mechanism of B-2 bombers which could further compromise the success of any US assault on Iran.
