Home Middle East Iranian Drone Interferes With USS Nimitz Flight Operations

FA-18F-USN-RedRippers-20070406 — A Super Hornet.

Iranian Drone Interferes With USS Nimitz Flight Operations

August 9, 2017

An F/A-18 from the USS Nimitz had a run in with an Iranian drone according to officials.

While operating in international airspace in the central Persian Gulf, an F/A-18E Super Hornet with Strike Fighter Squadron 147, assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, had an unsafe and unprofessional interaction with an Iranian QOM-1 unmanned aerial vehicle today, U.S. Central Command officials said.

Despite repeated radio calls to stay clear of active fixed-wing flight operations in vicinity of the USS Nimitz, the QOM-1 executed unsafe and unprofessional altitude changes in the close vicinity of an F/A-18E that was in a holding pattern and preparing to land on the aircraft carrier, officials said.

The F/A-18E manoeuvred to avoid collision with the QOM-1 resulting in a lateral separation between the two aircraft of about 200 feet and a vertical separation of about 100 feet.

The dangerous maneuver by the QOM-1 in the known vicinity of fixed-wing flight operations and at coincident altitude with operating aircraft created a collision hazard and is not in keeping with international maritime customs and laws, Centcom officials said.

This is the 13th unsafe or unprofessional interaction between U.S. and Iranian maritime forces in 2017, the officials noted.

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Steven Jones (@guest_379357)

6 years ago

#379357

If the Iranians are so unproffessional and unsafe give them a wide birth. The US doesnt NEED to be there, they chose to be there whereas Iran doesnt have much choice.

Richard Smith (@guest_379367)

6 years ago

#379367

Can we please stop this guy from commenting he’s just trolling every page, the Americans have every right to be in international waters, the Iranians like the Russians are unsafe with their aircraft and ships.