PNN – The pilot of an American fighter jet that was shot down over Iran during the recent war saw an unusual and surprising scene before making an emergency exit from the plane.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network, CNN revealed in an exclusive report that the pilot of an American fighter jet that was shot down over Iran during the recent war saw an unusual and surprising scene before making an emergency exit from the plane; a scene that has now become a controversial topic among American intelligence agencies.
According to the report, after being rescued by Special Forces and transported to a safe location, the pilot of the American F-15 fighter jet stated during interrogations and intelligence assessment meetings that moments before the plane was shot down, he had observed a group of Iranian drones moving in unison in the sky. According to informed sources, these drones had a formation similar to a “sea bride”, with several larger drones positioned at the top and smaller drones moving below them like jellyfish tentacles.
An informed source told CNN: The pilot described several drones connected together, moving as one entity, with smaller drones below them. It was quite an unusual sight.
Another source said the American pilot likened the formation to an aerial minefield of drones. The report added that if the pilot’s description is accurate, it could indicate Iran’s acquisition of a new generation of drone technology that had not previously been considered in US intelligence assessments.
According to CNN, although the investigation into the exact cause of the F-15 downing is still ongoing, some initial assessments suggest that the drone network may have played some role in the downing of the American fighter jet.
The F-15 had a crew of two, including a pilot and a weapons systems officer. After the downing, the US military launched a massive search and rescue operation. The pilot was rescued a few hours later, but the weapons systems officer eluded Iranian forces in mountainous terrain for more than a day before being rescued by US forces.
CNN has emphasized that the downing of this fighter jet is the first case of a US aircraft being shot down over Iranian territory during the recent war. Also, during the rescue operation, a US A-10 attack aircraft was also targeted and crashed, although its pilot managed to eject outside Iranian airspace.
According to this American media outlet, the F-15 pilot’s account has caused serious disagreement in the US intelligence community. Some intelligence officials believe that he may have actually witnessed an unknown and advanced technology, while others doubt the veracity of this account, given his physical and mental conditions.
However, the main issue of interest to American experts is a technology called “One-to-Many Meshed Networking”; a capability that allows for the simultaneous and integrated guidance and coordination of a large number of drones.
According to informed sources, US intelligence agencies have not yet confirmed such a capability for Iran, but there are reports that Tehran has benefited from technical cooperation with Russia and China in the development of its drone technologies.
Military experts believe that if the report is true, Iran has entered a new level of drone warfare. Such technology could enable drones to operate in groups, make collective decisions, change formations during missions, and carry out complex, multi-stage attacks.
But Bates, an expert in drone warfare in the United States, warned in an interview with CNN that drones that can maintain a coordinated formation while carrying explosives pose a serious threat to military forces.
He emphasized: If such a system can retain some of its power for subsequent waves of attack, we will be faced with one of the most advanced forms of drone warfare.
The CNN report is published as the United States and Iran have entered a period of political negotiations after establishing a ceasefire. However, the disclosure of such information shows that the recent war still has unknown dimensions and a real assessment of the military capabilities of the parties, especially in the field of drones, remains one of the most important concerns of American security and military institutions.