Over the last four days, the Iranian military has published several videos and photos of the U.S. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group in the Persian Gulf. The United States has just published its first response: photos showing U.S. aircraft from the Eisenhower Carrier Air Wing intercepting those drones.
Aircraft from Dwight D Eisenhower Carrier Air Wing intercepts an Iranian UAV operating in an unsafe and unprofessional manner during aircraft carrier flight operations in the Arabian Gulf. The U.S. Navy will continue to fly and sail where international law allows. pic.twitter.com/66ojHTkrMS
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) December 2, 2023
In the below post, United States Central Command released a photo which appears to show an Iranian Mohajer-6 unmanned aerial vehicle (wings clean) above the Eisenhower carrier. The drone is most likely collecting full motion video and other signals and presents not only an intelligence threat to U.S. forces but also a physical threat as it is well within the launch and recovery bubble of the carrier.
The U.S. photos appear to be taken from an MH-60 series helicopter from the Eisenhower or supporting surface vessels.
The Mohajer-6 is an Iranian single-engine multirole ISTAR UAV capable of carrying a multispectral surveillance payload and/or up to four precision-guided munitions. The IRGC Ground Forces currently fly ten of these aircraft with 40 more planned for the IRGC Navy.
