Iran’s hidden drone capability? US pilot saw 'jellyfish-like' formation before jet was shot down

The US fighter pilot whose F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down over Iran in April recalled seeing a “jellyfish-like” formation of Iranian drones moments before his aircraft was downed, according to CNN.Also Read | Evacuating the ‘Dudes’: How US pulled off a high-risk rescue of F-15 pilots in IranThe pilot disclosed the previously unreported account during debriefing sessions with intelligence officials.“Multiple drones interconnected and moving as one, with smaller drones below the larger ones like legs — real alien s**t,” CNN quoted an official present at the briefing as saying.According to another official, the aviator described witnessing a “minefield of drones” in the air.Following the pilot’s account, intelligence officials conducting the debriefing asked, in effect, whether he was sure about what he had seen.This was because he was concussed after ejecting from the aircraft. This also marked his second time being shot down during the Iran war; he had also been among the American pilots downed in a friendly-fire incident involving a Kuwaiti fighter pilot in the early days of conflict.

What does it say about Iran’s drone capability

While the specific drone capability described by the pilot was not previously assessed by US intelligence agencies as being possessed by Iran, there is a trail of reporting suggesting that Tehran has received assistance in developing its drone technology from China and Russia.Also Read | Operation ‘epic’ rescue: How much it cost US to save F-15E pilot & why America destroyed its own planesThe technical term for the capability described by the pilot is “one-to-many meshed networking.”In general, meshed networking allows an operator to control multiple drones simultaneously.Russia and China are also believed to possess this capability. Any advancement in Tehran’s already sophisticated drone warfare program would be a concern for US forces and its allies in the region.Iran deployed attack drones extensively as an asymmetric weapon during the weeks-long conflict against US and Israeli forces, as well as against nearby Gulf countries.

The incident

The F-15 carried a crew of two — a pilot and a weapons systems officer (WSO). The US immediately launched a search-and-rescue operation.The downing of the F-15 marked the first time an American figher aircraft had been shot down over Iran during the conflict.The pilot was rescued hours after ejecting, while the WSO evaded Iranian capture in the mountains for several days before also being rescued. It is not clear whether the WSO also observed the drone formation.While the exact cause of the F-15’s downing is still under investigation, initial reports suggested that the drone formation may have in some way enabled Iranian forces to shoot down the American jet.