The RQ-4A has largely been reconstructed in Iran. The kill marking painted on the door of a Surface to Air Missile (SAM) system involved (bottom left) more closely resembles a U-2 spy plane however. Images from US Navy and Iranian State Media
Forbes: Shot Down U.S. Navy Global Hawk Reconstructed By Iran
Information about the U.S. Navy’s RQ-4A Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle shot down by Iran on June 20, 2019, continues to surface a year on. The carcass of the aircraft has been largely pieced together by Iran, in the manner of an air accident investigation. The way it was done, and the reasons, are likely to be very different, however.
The drone was reportedly shot down by an IRGC “3rd Khordad” missile. A 3rd Khordad missile launcher has been paraded by the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) to celebrate the downing of the spy drone. The ‘kill marking’ painted on the door of the vehicle closely resembles the piloted U-2 spy plane instead of a Global Hawk, however.
The 3rd Khordad has a reported maximum range up to 65 miles and can hit targets flying at high altitudes. So the Global Hawk spy drone is a natural prey for a system like this.
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WNU Editor: I am willing to bet that Russian and Chinese intelligence agencies have already taken a look at this downed U.S. Navy Global Hawk.
