Fri Aug 29, 2014 4:57
Iran Releases More Details on Hunting of Israeli Spy Drone
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=3D13930607000768

TEHRAN (FNA)- Commander of Khatam ol-Anbia Air Defense Base Brigadier =

General Farzad Esmayeeli announced on Friday that the country's home-made =

Shahab radar system played a major role in tracing the Israeli spy drone =

that was shot down near Iran's Natanz nuclear enrichment facility this =

weekend, adding that the aircraft was intercepted at an altitude of 3,700 =

meters (over 11,000ft).

"The Israeli spy drone, which enjoyed one of their most advanced =

technologies, was destroyed at the altitude of 3,700m," Gen. Esmayeeli said.

He further underlined full operational harmony between the army and the =

Islamic Revolution Guards Corps in hunting the Israeli pilotless plane, and =

said, "This drone was targeted by firing only one missile, (and it is much =

precious because) otherwise it could have been dangerous to the Iranian =

aircraft flying through this or nearby corridors."

"We allowed the drone to reach our desired zone because if it had been =

targeted at the borders, we could have lost its debris and the information =

of its cameras," the Gen. added.

"Shahab long-range strategic radar system played a (main) role in tracing =

and identifying this drone," he continued.

On Sunday, Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) announced in a =

statement that it had shot down an Israeli drone near the highly sensitive =

nuclear enrichment facility in Natanz in Central Iran.

The IRGC Public Relations Department said in the statement that the Israeli =

pilotless aircraft was a radar-evading, stealth drone with the mission to =

spy on Iran's Natanz nuclear enrichment plant.

The IRGC also pointed out in its statement that the Israeli hostile aircraf=
t =

had been targeted by a surface-to-air missile.

The IRGC has warned that it "reserves the right of response and retaliation =

for itself".

A few hours later on Sunday, Director of the IRGC's Public Relations =

Department General Ramezan Sharif told FNA that some of the parts of the =

downed aircraft are working, "and our experts are studying the information =

and intelligence of these parts".

"We are now analyzing the information of this plane," he added.

Then, Commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force Brigadier General Amir Ali =

Hajizadeh announced on Monday that "the downed spy drone is Hermes and made =

in Israel".

He said the operational range of Hermes drones is 800 kilometers, adding =

that the aircraft can fly 1,600 kilometers by refueling once.

The General said parts of the aircraft have burnt out after it was targeted =

by the ground-to-air missiles of the IRGC Aerospace Force and after its fue=
l =

tank blast, yet "some parts of this drone are intact and we are now =

analyzing the information and intel of these parts".

Elaborating on the details of the down Israeli aircraft, the commander =

further stated that the drone, which is 5.5 meters wide in wings, is =

equipped with two cameras which can take high-quality photos.

"There was no prior information available about the aircraft and the only =

one of this type had been downed in Syria, but this one is more advanced," =

General Hajizadeh said.

The Elbit Systems Hermes 450 is an Israeli medium size multi-payload UAV, =

designed for tactical long endurance missions.

It has a flight endurance of over 20 hours, with a primary mission of =

reconnaissance, surveillance and communications relay.

Also on Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham =

strongly condemned Israel's hostile move as a violation of Iran's =

territorial integrity and sovereignty, and said "We...pursue the issue at =

legal and international bodies... within the framework of international =

regulations."

But, senior Generals in Tehran warned on Tuesday that Iran would not give a =

diplomatic response to the violation of its airspace by the Israeli spy =

drone which was shot downed near Natanz nuclear site a few days ago, and =

said Tel Aviv should wait for Iran's retaliatory moves in battlefield.

"Our response to this aggression will not be diplomatic, we will retaliate =

in the battlefield, but will not necessarily announce it. The enemy will se=
e =

and understand it," IRGC Lieutenant Commander Brigadier General Hossein =

Salami said, addressing a ceremony to honor the memory of martyred Basij =

(volunteer) forces in Tehran on Tuesday.

Salami said although the shooting down of the Israeli spy drone seems to be =

only one of the few cases tactically, it sent a powerful strategic message =

to the enemy in the field of defense.

Later on Tuesday, Salami announced that Iran knows well from which country =

and which base the Israeli drone that it shot down a few days ago had taken =

off.

"What some people say that the drone had started its flight from Israel is =

not correct and we are almost certain about its origin, yet we would like t=
o =

reserve judgment at present," Salami told reporters in Tehran on Tuesday.

He further pointed out that the drone had been traced as soon as it crossed =

Iran's borders, but "it was allowed to enter the country to see the =

intention (of the hostile forces operating it) and then we targeted and hit =

it at the right time".

Asked if Iran would reverse engineer the aircraft to start its production, =

Salami said that Iran doesn=92t need to do so "although we have the power t=
o =

do so", implying that technology of the Israeli drone, which was a Hermes =

model, does not have anything new to Iran.

A day later on Wednesday, a higher ranking Iranian commander said that =

downing the Israeli hostile drone was just the beginning of Iran's =

retaliatory moves and Tel Aviv should wait for Tehran's tougher responses, =

adding that the drone had started its mission from a country North of Iran.

"The destruction of the spy drone is not the end of the Islamic Republic of =

Iran's (retaliatory) action as we will give our (main) response to the enem=
y =

in the occupied territories," Deputy Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed =

Forces for Cultural Affairs and Defense Publicity Brigadier General Massoud =

Jazzayeri told FNA on Wednesday.

He further expressed regret that a regional country North of Iran has =

collaborated with Israel and served as a launch-pad for the mission, and =

said, "We are waiting for that country which has cooperated with the Quds =

Occupying Regime (Israel) to send the drone to Iran to make up for its wron=
g =

deed; otherwise, we will declare its name."

Jazzayeri said that the drone had taken off from a former Soviet republic i=
n =

the North of Iran.

Gen. Hajizadeh as well as Basij Commander Brigadier General Mohammad Reza =

Naqdi have underlined that Iran would speed up arming the West Bank in =

retaliation to the Israeli aggression, although they have warned that this =

would not be Iran's only response.

Later on Wednesday, Naqdi announced that arming the Palestinian resistance =

groups in the West bank had already started.

"Arming the West Bank has started and weapons will be supplied to the peopl=
e =

of this region," Naqdi told FNA on the sidelines of the closing ceremony of =

a forum of Basiji university professors in Tehran today.

He underlined that arming the West Bank will lead to the annihilation of th=
e =

Zionist regime.

Stressing the need for Israel to return the Palestinian lands to their real =

owners, Naqdi said, "The Zionists should know that the next war won't be =

confined to the present borders and the Mujahedeen will push them back."

He also revealed that many of the equipment and possibilities used by the =

Palestinians in their recent defense against Israel were the products of th=
e =

Islamic Republic of Iran, and added that Tehran has also trained them on ho=
w =

to use such technologies to defend themselves.

And on Friday, Iran's Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) =

Hossein Dehqani, in separate letters to the heads of the UN, UN Security =

Council and UN General Assembly, strongly deplored the recent violation of =

Iran's airspace by an Israeli spy drone and asked for international action =

against Tel Aviv's threats.

In the letters addressed to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, UN Security =

Council President Mark Lyall Grant and President of the UN General Assembly =

John Ashe, Dehqani condemned the Israeli intrusion into Iranian airspace.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran reserves the right to take any defensive =

measure to protect its territory and warns that such provocative acts will =

have serious repercussions for the aggressor," the Iranian envoy said.

"The recent intrusion into Iran=92s airspace by an Israeli drone constitute=
d a =

blatant violation of the territorial integrity and national sovereignty of =

the Islamic Republic and contravened the principles of international law an=
d =

the contents of the UN Charter,=94 the Dehqani added.

He described the violation as a threat to regional peace and stability, and =

urged the international community, specially the UN Security Council, to =

condemn the act of aggression.

Meantime, another Israeli Hermes drone crashed in the vicinity of Baghdad =

Airport on Wednesday, the second such loss in less than three days.

The Arabic-language Al-Mayadin TV channel reported Wednesday night that an =

Israeli drone crashed near Baghdad Airport, adding that the unmanned =

aircraft was a Hermes Model.

The TV channel said the cause of the crash is still unclear and Iraq's Army =

has refrained from speaking to the media about the event.

FNA correspondent in Baghdad reported that the US embassy security staff ha=
d =

rushed to the crash site and collected the debris and the remains of the =

downed Israeli drone.

This was the third drone loss by the Israeli army in the last one month. Th=
e =

first drone was shot down by Palestinians in Gaza a few weeks ago. =

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