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    U.S. Drone on CIA Mission Before Crashing Into Iran: Officials

    The American stealth drone that fell into the hands of the Iranian military late last week was on a mission for the CIA when it went down, U.S. officials told ABC News today.

    The officials said it was unclear what mission the RQ-170 Sentinel unarmed aircraft was performing when it went down and where exactly it was flying. While Iranian officials were quoted in local media as claiming the drone had entered Iranian airspace, the International Security Assistance Force said in a statement Monday that the drone had been flying over western Afghanistan when its operators lost control.

    U.S. military officials contradicted Iranian officials who also reportedly claimed the drone had been "shot down" and that the Iranian military's electronic warfare unit had helped bring the RQ-170 down with little damage.

    WATCH: Drone Technology in Hands of Iran?

    Pentagon Capt. John Kirby told reporters Monday there was no indication the drone was shot down, nor was it brought down by "hostile activity of any kind" -- ruling out possible cyber attack or electronic jamming.

    The military considered the incident strictly an unfortunate accident with a malfunctioning drone, Kirby and Pentagon spokesperson George Little said. One U.S. official said today that after the drone's crash, a host of courses of action were considered, including possibly going into Iran to recover the craft. However, that option was dismissed, as well as several others.

    The RQ-170, developed by defense contracting giant Lockheed Martin and dubbed "The Beast of Kandahar" by Aviation Week's Bill Sweetman, is one of America's most sophisticated surveillance drones and was only acknowledged to exist by the Air Force in 2010.

    The bat-wing shaped craft is designed to dodge enemy radar and slip unnoticed into hostile territory to gather information or support operations on the ground. It was reportedly used to keep tabs on the man believed to be Osama bin Laden during the Navy SEAL mission that took out the terror leader in Pakistan in May.

    NBC News first reported the role of the CIA in the downed drone Monday.

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    82 comments

    • NotAnymore  •  5 mths ago
      I wonder what they plan to do with it? Sell it to China?
      • Mark A 5 mths ago
        Id bet its already in china
    • JaLo  •  5 mths ago
      China will help them reverse engineer one of America's most sophisticated surveillance drones I'm sure...
      • asghar 5 mths ago
        don't be sure .iranians are more clever than Chinese and dont need any one !
      • Brett 5 mths ago
        if they revealed its existence in 2010 that means it is probably three generations removed from the most sophisticated.
      • Free Thinker 5 mths ago
        this wouldn't have happened if bush jr jr wasn't f***ing with every country on earth trying to establish an empire.

        and how do we know it was even a spy drone? for all we know it was on a bombing mission.

        if iran invaded our airspace, we would call it an act of war so why are we trying to start a war with these people? how many more countries can we take over before china and russia get involved?
    • Troll  •  North Pole, United States  •  5 mths ago
      Where Oh Where Has My Little Drone Gone? Where Oh Where Can She Be?
    • Jennifer  •  Phoenix, United States  •  5 mths ago
      Its not good that Iran now has our top of the line Drone, but China also has our new Stealth Helicpoter I think our CIA is getting sloppy.
      • THETIMEISNOW 5 mths ago
        They continue to spy on the ground. And maybe are contaminated with nuclear products, or biological death viruses---keep it, chumps!
      • Igor Sowbelly 5 mths ago
        Be afraid, be very afraid, American chicken-hawks...
    • Johnny Doe  •  5 mths ago
      We don't know why it crashed, but it could not have been shot down? Our government's comments contradict themselves.
    • just-checking-in...  •  5 mths ago
      At first this country: denial, denial, denial. Oops! Oooooooh, here comes the truth, now. This article is full of more lies than a cheating lover! It isn't known what the mission of the drone was???? Plllllease!! NONE of the govt can be trusted, beginning with the potus! And how much money are corporations making off war!? This is madness! Bring home the troops and secure the borders and begin rebuilding this country! War does not serve the masses. It serves those with money to make money. It serves to have soliders and others killed in the name of 'what?' This country wanting to rule the world? Because that is what it sure looks like! This kind of jibber jabber that has been going on since the drone was shot down, shows how truthful NOT! our govt is with us! Elections will not do anything toward improvement any longer. Take a look at ALL the candidates--what a rag, tag bunch of criminals, liars, thieves, cheats! ...
      • David 5 mths ago
        All except Ron Paul!!! He is the only one that is against the establishment and will not allow such things to happen!!! Ron Paul 2012
      • Free Thinker 5 mths ago
        "WAR IS NOT MEANT TO BE WON, IT IS MEANT TO BE CONTINUOUS." – George Orwell

        iraq and afghanistan are winding down so we need to invent another war to keep the military industrial complex going and so we can keep borrowing trillions of dollars from the banksters.
    • norman  •  5 mths ago
      A few months ago it was hikers that wandered into Iran, now CIA drones. It must be real easy to wander into Iran by mistake.
    • Gebe  •  Boston, United States  •  5 mths ago
      Maybe we just spend more time wotting about our buisness and leave the rest of the world to itself more.
    • biff baff  •  Los Angeles, United States  •  5 mths ago
      Some stealth materials are so complex that even if you were given samples and the blueprints and a list of components you still couldn't build one. You'd need access to the raw materials, the ability to process the materials into usable composites, and the ability to machine the composites into components. That's not counting the electronics and software to control it. That's not counting the satellite and possibly AWACs links you'd need to use them in the field.
      Anything made to be used in the field will eventually be lost to the enemy, that should be no surprise. A stealth fighter got shot down, does anyone think a drone is somehow more immune?
      • Igor Sowbelly 5 mths ago
        Reverse engineering is easier than engineering, son.
    • rick  •  Dallas, United States  •  5 mths ago
      "Iran says Drone on CIA Mission"....DUH!!!!....obvious man strikes again!
    • calven  •  5 mths ago
      I love a good drone, but why is the CIA getting caught so often lately?
    • Dar  •  5 mths ago
      With the people of Iran being cranky about the sanctions/embargo, this will worsen things.
    • calven  •  5 mths ago
      Awesome
    • Chris-Delon  •  5 mths ago
      99 % problems but the 1% should not be one. Hugo 99 problems !!
    • Hook  •  5 mths ago
      A limited war with Iran would tighten oil supply rasing oil prices and oil company stock prices Its all about the benjamins and not about freedom or security but it is the new American way
    • Chris-Delon  •  5 mths ago
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onDh4P1cE2E&feature=related
    • Michael  •  Washington, United States  •  5 mths ago
      "Wonder weapons? Killing without bravery...what's so wonderful about that?" - Gen. Patton
    • Bingo Bopngo  •  New York, United States  •  5 mths ago
      Please don't start another war. Two wars have already made us broke enough and not made this world or U.S. a safer place. Let Israel deal with this war. It's their war, not ours.
    • Igor  •  Richmond, United States  •  5 mths ago
      The beast is now just barely "squeaking" it seems. Someone tell all these spooks to "stand down"!
    • GARY  •  Wilmington, United States  •  5 mths ago
      the drone was probably keeping an eye on the civil war in Iran.. It is going in the rebels favor
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