12 November, 2006

TEHRAN (AFP) - Iran's Arabic language television station broadcast footage it claimed showed a US aircraft carrier cruising in Gulf waters it said was taken by an unmanned Iranian drone.

The brief minute-long film, which was shown on Al-Alam television's evening news bulletin, showed wobbly aerial footage of an aircraft carrier stacked with war planes as it sailed.

The television's anchor said the film, the property of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard, showed a vessel from "the US fleet in the Persian Gulf".

"A source in the Revolutionary Guard said the drone carried out its mission without US fighter pilots reaching it," the television said.

It said there were 10 such films taken by the drone which showed "more precise information and details about military equipment, foreign forces, and their activities in the Persian Gulf."

The station did not name the vessel nor did it say when the footage was shot.

The broadcast comes near the end of Iran's latest 10-day war games, "Great Prophet II", which military chiefs have said were aimed at showing off Iran's defensive prowess and testing new military hardware.

The war games coincided with US-led naval manoeuvres in the Gulf off Iran aimed at halting arms-trafficking, the first time such an exercise has been held in the area.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20061111/wl_mideast_afp/iranusmilitaryspy_061111210706




Here's the video:

http://www.youtube.com/v/ERn75VRlc-o

Apparently, the carrier was caught "pants down": turning ínto wind at the start of the next cycle of flying operations. Many Hornets are positioned around the rear end of the deck, and an E-2C is already on the catapult 1, but not yet ready for start (E-2s are always launched as first, as they need some time before reaching their station), even if one SH-60 is already airborne.

it's good that Iran can see what will be on their front doorstep..... oh, and we have several more... just like it

It's good to see that Iran says what they are. A threat to world security! But once again folks will say that Iran is innocent and America is the big bad bully.

bloody hell *eye roll*
wow they caught a picture of a carrier...they might catch something more pretty soon..

a few of the carriers planes flying up their ass.

First Iranians, and now Chinese... Who's next?

You guys are missing the point. Iran could potentially arm the next UAV.

yeah that is a worry GI_JOEJK, but im sure the us navy is smart enough to watch out now

I have seen better videos of carriers on YouTube.com........

An UAV small enough to evade IAS (intercept at sea) by the barcap Hornets and Hawkeyes is big enough to do this much damage on the deck:
(I am holding my thumb and forefinger very close together.)

Note: Any CAG transiting the straits of Hormuz--anywhere near Iranian shores, in fact--already has E-2C and F-18E/F up and multiple Aegis/SPY-1 radiating. The Islamic Revo-loonies didn't steal a march on us. I suspect that is one of a thousand widely available USN videos floating around on the internet.
Iranians are liars on a Biblical scale. They introduce new super-weapons almost monthly, stage wargames designed to deter the Great Satan on a prolific scale, and broadcast false news stories about impending American invasions, Israeli attacks, the collapse of the U.S. government, etc...almost nightly.

multiple Aegis/SPY-1 radiating

With E-2s in the air, I do not know what experience you have, is it not kind of redundant to use the spy-1s, I mean with an E-2 in the air you have adequate early warning, and they have no idea where your ships are.