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Iran Actually Hacked America's RQ-170 Spy Drone

This is looking bad, folks.  Reports initially said that Iran had shot down one of  America’s RQ-170 spy drones (the type of drone that was used to provide real-time data during the Osama Bin Laden raid).  And to be honest with you, that’s what we wish would have happened.  Instead, it looks like Iran actually hacked the drone and commanded it to land on one of their air strips.  Here’s video of the drone (that is clearly NOT shot down and damaged).

Below is an excerpt from BBC.co.uk

US officials have acknowledged the loss of the unmanned plane, saying it had malfunctioned.

However, Iranian officials say its forces electronically hijacked the drone and steered it to the ground.

BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner says the intact condition of the Sentinel tends to support their claim.

Iran’s Press TV said that the Iranian army’s “electronic warfare unit” brought down the drone on 4 December as it was flying over the city of Kashmar, about 140 miles (225km) from the Afghan border.

So, this is bad no matter how you slice it.  One has to wonder, however, did Iran gain the capability to bring down one of the most sophisticated pieces of technology in the world.  You would almost think they had help…..

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Rich Mitchell

Rich Mitchell is the editor-in-chief of Conservative Daily News and the president of Bald Eagle Media, LLC. His posts may contain opinions that are his own and are not necessarily shared by Bald Eagle Media, CDN, staff or .. much of anyone else. Find him on twitter, facebook and

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26 Comments

  1. بله اين يه واقعيت هست
    قابليت هاي ايران بيش از اينها
    يا علي

      1. valla nemidoonam shoma shayad too angoola zendegi mikoni vali inja faghr hast vali intori ke shoma migi nist .badesham age in ghabeliatha , eftekharat nabood alan maloom nabood namoosemoon dast engilise ya amrica !

        1. dooste aziz soheil
          nemidoonam chand saleteh mikham behet begam ke age oon ghabeliyathaei kke azashoon harf mizani naboud alan namouset arabi harf mizad va age be fekr nabashi momkene Chini ya Rousi. Azizam hamin hamsaye doust va rafigh Iraq bood ke be khak ma tazavoz kard. Eghtesade iran ro chin dare naboud mikoneh va kaftari be esme rousiyeh ham dare irano michapeh.

          1. شما با کی مشکل داری با اسلام و حسین که گفت هیهات من الذلت?پیامبر درسته عرب بود ولی ازادی رو برای همه جهان میخواست اونوقت شما طرف امریکا رو گرفتی که همرو برده خودش میخواد و در زوان شاه برای ایرانی به اندازه سگ امریکایی ارطش قایل نبود?خودتو به یه دکتر نشون بده وطندوست عزیز

          2. شما اگه وطنتو دوست داشتی جوری حرف نمی زدی که آمریکا و صهیونیستها با دمشون گردو بشکنن!

  2. This explains the virus detected last October, that was logging keystroke commands. The dots connect… Iran obtained the keystroke commands and hijacked it electronically. The Pentagon isn’t saying jack about this… but it’s crystal clear.

    OCTOBER CNN news on the drone virus: Virus infects program that controls U.S. drones: “Military officials are more concerned than panicked by this virus,” said Danger Room Editor Noah Schactman, who first reported the story last week for Wired magazine. “They’re just really not sure what’s going on. They’re not sure if it’s a deliberate attack. They’re not sure if it’s something accidental.”

    The drones fly all over the world, but they are remote-piloted from American soil by pilots at Creech Air Force Base in Nevada. That’s where the virus was first detected.

    The virus is logging each keystroke that the remote pilots input, and officials are trying to determine whether any classified information is actually being lost or sent outside the network. Schactman says the military has had a hard time wiping out the virus.

    https://articles.cnn.com/2011-10-10/us/us_drone-program-virus_1_computer-virus-drones-uavs?_s=PM:US

  3. Are places like this Creech AFB , mentioned by the commenter above , really hooked up to the internet as far as their command and control centers etc are concerned? Shouldnt strategic war theatre related electronic communications be conducted over their own ” secure” network never to be exposed to the pollution and sludge that bears these viruses and such through the regular internet pipe ? What next Iran or some other hostile hacks into missle command and detonates all our ICBM’s in place by informing each missle it has arrived at its target or that its the 10000 th visitor to this site and its won a prize ?

  4. Let’s examine how could the encrypted satellite radio link of the RQ-170 be compromised then. This effort must have required the installation of malware within the complex avionics of the RQ-170, a process which must include human intervention, most likely on American soil.
    There’s every reason to assume it was Chinese capacity force landing the American RQ-170 in Iran.

    Full analysis here:

    https://essential-intelligence-network.blogspot.com/2011/12/rq-170-anatomy-of-failed-cybernetic.html

    1. China could be the smoke screen, but why would Iran publicize it? Makes no sense. If China did this, we wouldn’t be the wiser, and the U.S. would be thinking it malfunctioned.

      It wasn’t China. Iran is conducting a high-tech game of electronic warfare. They are close to drone bases, it wouldn’t surprise me if they infiltrated a base to uplink a malware virus.

  5. It is so complicated and of course a big shame for Obama and his administration. no matter what those Pasdars say in Iran; whatever they say and claim is a big nasty lie. they can’t even correctly control a tricycle. But unfortunately the real thing is that they have a piece of technology in their bloody hand to deal on it.

    1. Now all Iran has to do is coat all their missiles with the stealth technology and bingo – the Patriot defence system becomes useless

  6. Well, people ok if Iran shot down this spyplane.

    But how did they do this? Do they have weapons that can shoot it down? Or is this just a theatre to start a new war?

  7. we r we happy because Iran is muslim country know americans know they can not destroy all muslim country our muslim force have power to answer,know they people scared thats why they want back this dron -170, EAST or WEST IRAN Is Best, I M PAKISTANI but i m very happy , god bless All the IRAN ARMY And these master mind hickers ,YOU Are Not alone All Muslim Wiyh you
    and next time also answer him same like this , i appriciate irane people , GOD BLESS U , LAILAHA IL ALLAH HO MUHAMMAD O RASOOL ALLAH , LABBAIK ALLAH HUMA LABBAIK

    1. شما با کی مشکل داری با اسلام و حسین که گفت هیهات من الذلت ؟ پیامبر درسته عرب بود ولی ازادی رو برای همه جهان میخواست اونوقت شما به پشتیبانی امریکا حرف میزنی که همرو برده خودش میخواد؟خودتو به یه دکتر نشون بده عزیزم

    2. شما با کی مشکل داری با اسلام و حسین که گفت هیهات من الذلت ؟ پیامبر درسته عرب بود ولی ازادی رو برای همه جهان میخواست اونوقت شما به پشتیبانی امریکا حرف میزنی که همرو برده خودش میخواد و در زمان شاه یه ایرانی رو به اندازه سگ امریکایی به حساب نمی اورد؟خودتو به یه دکتر نشون بده عزیزم

  8. USA have reported security related problems with the control system. This was probably a prelude to this event.

    Iran have not showed the sophistication necessary for this kind of operation. Iran have more of year of 632 style thinking than 2100 century, this could explain the unnecessary bragging (why just not keep the secret and exploit it??)..

    The Chinese are a totally different ballgame. Smart, assertive and adoptable. They could very well have planted a infected PCB boards on a RQ-170 sub-contractor or in the supply chain. After all the lowest bidder wins..

  9. How could Iran break into US Air force cyber space? How can they control an aircraft electronics that they don’t see or hear or even know where its at. If you want my opinion, It appears that the left wing broke off because of the front touch-up job seen on display. This could only happen by flying so low that it hit a tree.
    Don’t never trust what they say, Iranians officials are known to lie so much that they believe there own lie’s. They never hack, nor can they break into our cyber clandestine recon instrumental weapons.

    1. How??? hahaha thats a easy game for iran
      lol..cheer up dude..Iran has got the highest level in the world

  10. This is IRAN!!!
    The strength of the world that you haven’t known well yet!
    But I promise you that you’ll see its power soon God Willing and will easily understand that these nonsense you say about it is all wrong!
    I want to tell USA to be careful to NEVER pass our air borders anymore! Because you’ll again get into the trouble and you’ll again screw up!!!!
    Oh, by the way, instead of spreading these nonsense about STRONG IRANIANS, I suggest you to pick up your soldiers from other countries and try to solve your people’s economical problems!
    Soon, you’ll all see how USA will damage under the anger of aware people in all over the world…

  11. you know.. its obviously true that Iran has got the best army force around the world.. and about RQ-170– it was as easy as piece of cake for iran to hack that old version spy drone. Iran can do much more difficult things than hacking that toy.LOL.. if you disagree just Email me your idea

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