You heard wrong. Osama bin Laudin was killed by US Navy Seals. His son was killed by a US Air Force MQ-9 Reaper. The MQ-9 is NOTHING like the RQ-170 lost over Iran. The MQ-9 Reaper is built General Atomics in San Diego, is armed (hence the "M" designation) and can lift more ordinance than an F-16. The RQ-170, built by Lockheed Martin, on the other hand, is unarmed and used for reconnaissance only (hence the "R" designation). :)
"Iran appears to be in possession of one of America's most sophisticated weapons, a super-secret spy plane whose stealth technology is the same as the drone used to monitor the compound during the raid that killed Usama bin Laden, U.S. military sources told Fox News on Monday."
I am a bit surprised that the think did not have a mechanism whereby it could be blown to pieced remotely if it was shot down, or if it was having technical difficulties.
The drone did not kill Osama. US Navy Seals did. The RQ-170 is not a "weapon." It is unarmed. The only armed drones are the MQ-1 Predator, the MQ-1C Gray Eagle, and the MQ-9 Reaper. The MQ-X Avenger, when it is deployed, will also be armed. And there is nothing "super secret" about the RQ-170. It has been in the papers since 2007 and even has a Wikipedia entry.
Also, Iran being "in possession" of the RQ-170 is irrelevant. They are equipped with self destruct devices that destroy all of the comsec hardware and code. Iran is in possession of a pile of scrap. :)
I have several WW2 Documentary books that contain photos of downed American B-17 Bombers being sifted through by German engineers(you can just about imagine the conversations going on between them!!)
The Luftwaffe would try to shoot the bombers in such a way that would force a landing(hopefully intact)---they'd shoot the engines, tips of wings, tail avators---etc. etc---and when "Ralph"(the bomber commander) would look for a easy place to land---"Roffe"(German interrogator) would be waiting down below and would serve as the German "Welcoming Committee"-----though it would discourage me if I were the one sifting though the wreckage---having to go though piles and piles of twisted metal and cables to find something that remotely resembled a Nordac bomb sighting mechanism to study back at the lab:wavey:
One thing that's been said, but I feel needs reiterating, is that the UAVs flown have "zeroing" mechanisms built in. If there are problems, then any communication/radio/secret data is wipes clean before it goes down. Iran now has in their possession an expensive hobby plane. Even the small UAVs (Raven and PUMA) that I am licensed to fly (combat engineers to a little of everything!) have the same zeroing mechanism, and anything stored in our little plane is of hardly any use to anyone, other than targeting information.
Sorta like coming into possesion of a wide screen TV but having no cable/satalitte source to receive from?????:BangHead:
A worthless Television set makes for good target shooting with the trusty .22's!!!!!!!!!
Stand at a distance---shoot into the screen and watch the thing shatter:thumbs:!!!!!