Report: Iran Claims Success in Decoding US Drone Data
Site: ornl.gov
Iranian officials are claiming that they successfully decoded a U.S. drone that was captured last year, Reuters reports.
Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, head of the Revolutionary Guard’s aerospace division, told the state news agency that Iranian engineers were close to completing the decoding for the Sentinel.
Iran reported that it captured the unmanned aircraft in December.
U.S. officials have disputed claims that Iran would be capable of extracting valuable data from the aircraft.
Hajizadeh claimed the military has a full understanding of the drone’s components and programs, the report said.
Still, U.S. officials such as Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), a member of the Armed Services Committee, doubt that Iran’s claim is legitimate.
Lieberman said during a televised interview that Iran has a history of making unfounded claims, especially with the current economic sanctions.
Additional reports have surfaced suggesting that both China and Russia have requested information from Iran on the drone.
Earlier this year, reports have surfaced that China and Russia have reached out to Iran to find out more about the drone.
China was reportedly fielding unmanned surveillance aircraft aboard its warship fleets.
Officials suggested China could develop the technologies based on stolen U.S. information.