US Navy shoots down Iranian UAV approaching carrier
The Shahed-139 is seen behind a Shahed-129 at the IRGC Aerospace Force's permanent exhibition in Tehran, with a recovered US Air Force MQ-1 Predator in the background. (Anadolu via Getty Images)
A US Navy jet fighter shot down an Iranian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that approached the aircraft carrier, USS Abraham Lincoln , in the Arabian Sea, a US Central Command spokesperson told journalists on 3 February.
Captain Tim Hawkins said a Shahed-139 âaggressively approachedâ the carrier with âunclear intentâ even though the US forces took de-escalatory measures before the UAV was shot down by an F-35C about 500 miles (800 km or 930 km if nautical miles) from Iran's southern coast.
The incident came soon after Iranian forces harassed the US-flagged tanker Stena Imperative in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran's Tasnim News Agency cited an informed source as saying a Shahed-129 UAV was sending back surveillance imagery during a routine and legal mission over international waters when contact was lost. The source added that the reason for the loss of communication would be revealed when the investigation has reached a conclusion.
The Shahed-129 is Iran's standard medium-altitude and long-endurance UAV. Some have been seen with bulges on top of their noses to house satellite communications (satcom) antennas that enable them to operate beyond the range of radio communications.
The Shahed-139 has not previously been confirmed to be in service but one â possibly a prototype â has been displayed at the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Aerospace Force's permanent exhibition in Tehran since at least March 2024. An apparent satcom antenna was displayed next to it when Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei visited the exhibition in November 2024.
Go beyond the headlines - with direct links to interconnected entities
Get full access to validated equipment, military capabilities, and market insights.
