Iranian official says crashed drone was homegrown
Technical failure said to have brought down UAV near Iraqi border; initial reports said craft was foreign
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TEHRAN, Iran — Iranian media reported a reconnaissance drone that crashed in the country’s southwest was Iranian made, and not foreign as initially thought.
Several newspapers Sunday quoted Reza Nejati, governor of Shoush, a town near the crash site, as saying the Iranian drone crashed because of technical failure.
Nejati said the drone was on a regular assignment when it crashed on Friday morning. He said authorities transferred remaining parts of the drone from the site.
He did not elaborate, but the area is close to the Iraqi border.
Earlier reports said the unmanned aircraft was foreign, without specifying its country of origin.
Since 1992, Iran has been developing a self-sufficiency military program under which it produces missiles, submarines, tanks and aircraft.
In the past Iran has said it brought down foreign drones flying over its territory.
In August 014 Iran’s state TV broadcast footage showing a purported Israeli drone that the country’s Revolutionary Guard said it shot down near an Iranian nuclear site.
Arabic-language Al-Alam aired a brief video filmed in a desert area showing what the channel said were parts of the drone. A TV scroll said the drone was downed two days earlier. There were no visible Israeli markings on it.
Iran has claimed to have captured several US drones, including an advanced RQ-170 Sentinel CIA spy drone in December 2011 and at least three ScanEagle aircraft.
The Times of Israel Community.