Iran has RQ-170 Sentinel

Exactly! Without proper materials, tools and understanding, all you end up with is a cargo cult/coconut radio.

This may be a classic case of: "There are three versions of this story, your version, my version and the truth"
In all fairness, we have no idea what is going on. America will not tell us what they lost. Iran (not a stalwart of honesty) shows the world what can be a wooden mock-up made by skilled model builders. I personally would believe the Iranian footage if they showed the parts that are harder to replicate without an aviation magazine or the internet, such as for example the engines, electronics, sensors, etc. How about a component dataplate? How about a serial number stamped on a component? Why are the boastful Iranians so suddenly shy? Why pull the punches? I do not know about you, but I would not trust the Iranian government to tell me the time.

Radu

Obviously there is a lenghty propaganda war going on,
Iran versus US & Israel...every side is trying to intimidate
the other , that's what Churchill stated once, that's not
the end that's not the begining, that's the end of the begining.

Every past armed confruntation started this way first.

Believing to what the Iranians are saying is like
believing to a story of flying to the moon with a sail boat.

However , fact is that they indeed have put their hands on
something big and they don't shy away from advertising this....
the future will show what the production lines in China
and Russia will bring up.

This post has been edited by yugit on December 09, 2011 02:09 pm

What are you talking about? Don't tell me it's that unsubstantiated "Chinese general said" thingy.

Yes, Imperialist, that is what I said! I mean, since then a general "made in China" makes political declarations? I suppose that is (also) some kind of warning...

Radu,

I thought immediately that would be a "wooden mock-up made by skilled model builders". I did not mention here before your post.
My big concern is regarding available time. When did that happen? A week ago?
For a mock-up, that thing looks well done, smooth and with continuity between surfaces. And it is very big. Even with few dozens of workers and available tools, I am wondering if they could build such a thing in one week.

In regard with other components, or serial data plate, I remind you that the available clip is a part of the original Iranian movie. Maybe they had shown additional things for the Iranian TV viewers, and the movie was "cut" by the North American media. When you have something that modern in your hands, you show what you have, but up to a point. If everybody sees what's inside, why would China or Russia bother to pay for it?

Also, when you have something so valuable, you don't just jump and start to dismantle. Anything you may damage is irreplaceable.
So, we will see... If not from the mainstream TV channels, at least the Internet will clarify the matter in time.

This post has been edited by Florin on December 09, 2011 04:53 pm

The problem is that the general's statement hasn't been confirmed, at least I haven't seen anything in the international press. The claim about such a statement was posted on a conspiracy site and parts of the Romanian press scooped it up and took it for a fact.

This post has been edited by Imperialist on December 09, 2011 06:36 pm

Yeah, well, no official denial has been issued either! What's that mean?

It means that the Romanian press is stupid beyond belief.

http://www.jurnalul.ro/externe/china-iran-...tare-598140.htm

So "serious" Romanian dailies got their info from... infowars, a conspiracy website. Pathetic.

But let's not be too demanding for a moment and check that infowars article. Maybe, just maybe, there is something legit in it, right?

The infowars article is based on a video report:

http://www.infowars.com/chinese-professor-...o-protect-iran/

Go to 2:05 and watch. The video does not even give the general's original statement. It's only NTDTV's allegation that the general said that. When did he say that? Where? How about an exact quote? Nothing.

Why should we expect China to issue an official denial of something we're not even sure took place as such?

So...
Radio Erevan has just opened a new Internet-based studio in Romania.

Yeah, especially since they're working with halves of hour...
Iran time = GMT+3.30
(OoT)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xd4vGszQhJw

The good shape of that "thing" makes me think the following: Iran did not shot down the drone. Maybe they were not even aware of it flying in their space. I consider the following options:
1. The engine/engines of the drone got a malfunction, stopped working, and the drone became a big glider. The electronically controlled flaps kept the "thing" parallel to earth, and then it landed. If the remote control via satellite was still active, the controller tried a "U turn" to extend the glide into Afghanistan, but maybe the border was "a bridge too far".
2. The engines were OK and the remote control got defective. The drone kept flying until run out of fuel, and kept gliding in straight line. Iran is a big country – something may run out of fuel over it.
In any of the above options, luckily for the Iranians, the landing was noted.
3. The paranoid version: The Iranians were aware for some time of the regular passing of drones from Afghanistan, and built a 1 : 1 mock-up over few months or weeks, to show it on their TV with the first opportunity. Under the paranoid version, the real drone maybe ash and shards in this moment. So, why bother to build the mock-up? Just to scare the enemy that they have functional the real one.

P.S. - Update: The following link seems to confirm my option no. 2 :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=...n&v=8pFe6G2xBf4

This post has been edited by Florin on December 12, 2011 04:20 am

Ah well, if Fox News confirms it, then it is the real deal.
The only thing that remains doubtful is the Iranian side of the story that they "shot it down".
Radu

Good one: Iran claims they'll duplicate it! A superior version, even! Will it com with a Coran attached?
In the samenews story, visits to Moscow - they don't ever bother to hide that!
Iran's "clone" of RQ-170
Ironically, I thought Chinese were the appropriate choice for replicatingthings, but if they choose the Ex-Soviet style... well...

Russia's Avtobaza hijacked the drone?

http://articles.businessinsider.com/2011-1...-iran-six-weeks

This post has been edited by Imperialist on December 12, 2011 05:48 pm

Now that is an old speculation... a week old, so to say.
I wonder if 10 years from now they (of course, Hollywood!) won't make a movie about this episode; although I'm still waiting for some sort of Israeli move in this game, my best guess is that the entire RQ-170 episode will slowly get off the radar , as none of the sides has much to gain from further public exposure: the Americans are embarassed, the Russians are (as usual) secretive and not very happy to show their real deck of cards; finally, the brave Iranians will have to admit either the foreign help, or the foreign interests operating on their "Vaterland".
But then, again, we'll see, won't we?