Iran would down other US spy planes if that country continues violation of Islamic Republic's airspace, director of the Iranian Armed Forces' Center for Strategic Studies, Ali Shamkhani said, IRNA reported.
Shamkhani added that as far as the captured RQ-170 Sentinel drone goes, it is a proof that Iranian experts have the highest capabilities.
Shamkhani, who was also IRGC's Navy Commander and Iran's Minister of Defese, added that Islamic Republic of Iran would never concede in safeguarding its airspace. He noted that the U.S. should respond the international rules if violation of Iran airspace continues.
On Dec. 4 Iranian Armed Forces downed the U.S. RG-170 drone, 140 miles inside the Iranian border from Afghanistan. Later, The Islamic Republic protested the violation of Iran's airspace by a U.S. drone.
The unmanned surveillance plane lost by the United States in Iran was a RQ-170 sentinel drone being used for secret missions by the CIA. The aircraft is among the highly sensitive surveillance platform in the CIA's fleet that was shaped and designed to evade enemy defenses.
The captured US drone has state-of-the-art information system comprising electronic, telecommunications, and advanced radar systems. The drone is radar-evading and it utilizes the latest US aviation technology.
Lately, U.S president Barack Obama asked Iranian authorities to return the drone back, however the Islamic Republic has refused to do so.
Edited by: S. Isayev
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