IRGC Aerospace Force shoots downs intruding US MQ-1 Predator drone over Strait of Hormuz
Iran’s air defense forces have successfully intercepted and shot down another intruding American MQ-1 Predator drone in Iranian airspace over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, which Tehran has effectively blocked amid the US-Israeli war of aggression against the country.
The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Public Relations Department said in a statement on Tuesday morning that the multi-mission and long-endurance remotely piloted aircraft was intercepted and destroyed by the IRGC Aerospace Force.
It said the unmanned aerial vehicle was immediately tracked by IRGC air defense systems and targeted by advanced surface-to-air missiles before it could carry out any act of aggression.
The development came a few hours after the IRGC announced the interception and destruction of an advanced MQ-1 drone over the Strait of Hormuz.
Last week, the Iranian Army’s air defense successfully intercepted a US MQ-1 drone above the crucial Strait of Hormuz. According to a statement from the Army, their air defense units detected, tracked, and targeted the drone in southeastern Iran before successfully striking and destroying it.
The Strait of Hormuz has increasingly become a key battleground in the United States’ onslaught against Iran, prompting Tehran to tighten its control over maritime operations in and around the vital energy chokepoint.
According to American business news channel Bloomberg, Iran has eliminated more than two dozen MQ-9 Reaper drones since the onset of the US-Israeli war in late February, accounting for nearly 20 percent of the Pentagon’s inventory before the offensive. With each drone valued at $30 million, the total damage is estimated at around $1 billion.
As reported by Bloomberg and the TWZ website, congressional testimony indicates that the operational MQ-9 Reaper fleet of the US Air Force has decreased to approximately 135 aircraft, significantly below its established minimum threshold of 189.
The San Diego-headquartered manufacturer of the unmanned combat aerial vehicle, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, has confirmed that there are fewer than 10 new airframes still available for acquisition, and the production line for the MQ-9A has ceased operations.
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Iran downs another intruding US MQ-1 Predator drone over Strait of Hormuz
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