Iran F14's vs Unusual UAV's?

Interesting article over at the Aviationist about Iranian F14's intercepting or attempting to intercept as they describe, "US UAV" with unusual flight characteristics over Iranian nuke plants.

Retired by the US Navy more than seven years ago, the iconic Grumman F-14 remains in service with the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF). Iran extensively used its Tomcats in the Iran-Iraq War and the F-14A is still today the backbone of IRIAF air defense.

To intercept UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles), IRIAF F-4Es and F-14As, based to Bushehr to serve as QRA (Quick Reaction Alert) interceptors, were scrambled several times. But the American drones have astonishing flight characteristics: “Including an ability to fly outside the atmosphere, attain a maximum cruise speed of Mach 10, and a minimum speed of zero, with the ability to hover over the target” as explained by Taghavee. These performances along with their powerful ECM make the F-14s unable to operate their weapons.

IRIAF usually tout their abilities or the abilities it wants the rest of the world to think it has but for a report to come out seemingly from the IRIAF stating how overwhelmed they were by these unknown objects is in itself unusual.

theaviationist.com...

reply to post by Sammamishman


Would it be a surprise if the F-14's have a "backdoor" engineered in that opens the flight systems to spoofing?

The question is; why wouldn't the DoD insist on it, knowing that the aircraft can be used in opposition to US forces?

It sounds like something many UFO enthusiasts would love hear about, considering the flight characteristics mentioned seem to jive with the cliche flying saucer report.

Can maintain 0 mph hover, and accelerate to mach 10 very quickly? Mach 10 is around 7000 mph?
... and it can go leave the atmosphere?

It'd be interesting were they to release gun cam footage, and radar if there is any to support it.

It could, otherwise, be reverse propaganda in making claim US has assets there's only speculation about where they haven't actually had any real contact with anything resembling the claims.

reply to post by InverseLookingGlass


It could be a case of a conventional UAV "spoofing" the sensors of the IRIAF but then there is the pilots eyewitness report of a glowing sphere with green afterburner.

I secretly wish there actually was a US UAV with these characteristics, but realisticly, it doesnt seem possible unless either antigrav tech or something similar has already been figured out by our government or lockmart/ng/boeing and developed into a black aircraft. We've heard stories about these kinds of things for years. Remember the public verified story that came from the middle east of multiple fighters being scrambled (was it late 80s, early 90s?) to intercept a UFO, and then lost all control once they came within range of it? Verified by multiple sources, radar returns, civillian and military personnel, and unexplained to date.

kingofyo1
I secretly wish there actually was a US UAV with these characteristics, but realisticly, it doesnt seem possible unless either antigrav tech or something similar has already been figured out by our government or lockmart/ng/boeing and developed into a black aircraft. We've heard stories about these kinds of things for years. Remember the public verified story that came from the middle east of multiple fighters being scrambled (was it late 80s, early 90s?) to intercept a UFO, and then lost all control once they came within range of it? Verified by multiple sources, radar returns, civillian and military personnel, and unexplained to date.

I think that those were Iranian F-14's back in the days of the Shah... late 1970's.
There were CIA reports that were later declassified about those reports IIRC.

reply to post by butcherguy


Ah ok, thanks for the clear up with it.. My memorys gone to # lately but I think i got most of the details right?

reply to post by kingofyo1


Yes, as I remember it, you are pretty much right. The F-14's tried to close with the targets and lost part of their controls. The targets pretty much played with the Tomcats, zipping around and appearing and disappearing from visual and radar... I think. My memory isn't all that it used to be either.

reply to post by butcherguy


LOL yep, the older we get the more we forget. There was also a report or 7 of the a craft/orb popping from the belly of the UFO and speeding towards the ground and hovering for a while before disappearing back to the craft.

reply to post by InverseLookingGlass


US Foreign Military Sales aircraft are built in the US but usually install equipment as requested by the customer. It's commonly believed that there is a "back door" into their systems, but there isn't. Many times the systems will be installed once the aircraft arrive in their new home, with company tech support.

reply to post by kingofyo1

Here is the Wikipedia page for the "1976 Teheran UFO Incident".

It was the DIA (Defense Intelligence Agency) that had investigated these reports.

Oh, and it was F-4 Phantoms.... so much for my memory.

Just glad that their nuke programs are being monitored.

reply to post by kingofyo1


Yah, I can see the Mach 10 thing or the advanced ECM screwing with their radar from current UAV's.... but from a hover to Mach 10 and into orbit while looking like a glowing orb?.... Well if the Gov. did have something like that then they are doing an excellent job of hiding it.

reply to post by Sammamishman


Well they've been doing an excellent job hiding all their black projects, and unless they want us to know something(like the sr-72 project) then we WONT know it!

reply to post by kingofyo1


Unless we're Chinese.

reply to post by Sammamishman


LOL smh. They'll just hack the government and figure out whatever they want, then steal it and manufacture it themselves if possible

edit: UNLESS its still owned and operated by lockmart/ng/boeing/someone else and not listed on gov servers?

reply to post by kingofyo1


Lockheed and company are more likely to get hacked than the government. Where do you think China got all the F-35 information from? They went through Lockheed contractor computers.

reply to post by Zaphod58


ohhhh yeah, didnt consider that... Getting that milk straight from the cow instead of the store

Well, it *could* be a ETUFO.

Every nation with a nuclear programme has had these experiences, and a lot of them are documented by their respective militaries.

Yep. Every single one.

Its not UAV's they are chasing.