CNN just reported

[dgibby]

that Iranians state they have decoded footage from U.S. Drone that they captured over a year ago.


I don't know if it's true or not, but if it is, it could certainly be a game changer.

[cthulu2016]

1. Uh oh! They might learn what Iran looks like from the air.

???

[Poll_Blind]

2. You can view some of the footage here:

Guardian.co.uk

PB

[dgibby]

5. Thanks, P.B.

I guess it was just a matter of time until this technology fell into the wrong hands. I fear this will not end well for anyone.

[GoCubsGo]

9. If they didn't get it from us, they'd get it from the Chinese.

It's not like they aren't already building drones of their own.

[dixiegrrrrl]

20. News story from last year says Iran has drones...long range ones. Or at least...one.

TEHRAN, Iran -- A senior Iranian commander says the country's newly-produced missile-carrying drone has a range of 2,000 kilometers (1,250 miles), which puts much of the Middle East within operating distance of Iranian territory.

The Monday report by the semiofficial Fars agency quoted Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, who is aerospace chief of the powerful Revolutionary Guards.

His description of the aircraft, which Iran first announced last week, is like that of the American RQ-170 Sentinel, one of which went down in Iranian territory last year. Iran said it was building a copy of the RQ-170 in April.
Link, with pic:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/24/iran-new-drone_n_1910738.html

[politicaljunkie41910]

18. Those pictures on the ground don't look real. I don't think they are real. What are those

humanoid like figures standing on the tops of things?

[JI7]

3. hhhahha, it doesn't change anything

[TeamPooka]

4. they might be able to decode scrambled porn on pay per view now. Stand back.

#sonotagamechanger

[Berlum]

7. How do you know about that?

Are you now or have you ever been a Republican?

[TeamPooka]

8. Republican Guard, not Republican. Don't get them confused even though they act the same.

[TheCowsCameHome]

6. Were the WMD storage sites ever at risk?

[dgibby]

10. The ones in Iraq that didn't exist?

Not sure I understand the question.

[TheCowsCameHome]

17. I got my Ira* countries mixed up

How about that? I feel like George Bush.

[dgibby]

19. LOL!

At least you're not kin to him. I found out we share 8th g. grandparents when I was doing my maternal ancestors. Gave me a very bad case of the vapors!

[OKNancy]

11. LBN thread about this

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014392980

[dgibby]

12. Thanks! n/t

[quinnox]

13. I don't get why it is a game changer

And I also don't understand why we get to fly drones around another country's air space willy nilly. Don't countries have sovereignty over their own air space?

[dgibby]

15. They've got the drone.

They've decoded the footage. I'd imagine it won't be long until they can duplicate the technology involved in building and operating a drone of their own.

I also don't understand why we get to fly drones anywhere we want. Guess it's the old adage, "Might makes right". And I sure don't understand why the government gets to execute US citizens.

[OldDem2012]

14. How exactly is the footage of a US Army base in Afghanistan a "game changer"?....

Where exactly did the Iranians capture the drone?

[dgibby]

16. Game changer if they get the technology to replicate the drone.

According to the Guardian (see Poll_Blind's post above, the drone was captured in Iran, and that was confirmed by the US.

[OldDem2012]

21. You do know we have the technology to fry the electronics of any flying aircraft, don't you?....

....Additionally, it's also very unlikely our drones carry very advanced systems because we know they'll be used in combat situations and subject to being shot down, destroyed, and/or captured.