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U.S. Jet Downs Iranian Drone Near Carrier
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What happened U.S. forces shot down an Iranian unmanned aircraft… |
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What happened U.S. forces shot down an Iranian unmanned aircraft after it closed on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln while the carrier sailed in the Arabian Sea. Officials said the drone ignored U.S. efforts to de-escalate and behaved aggressively as it approached. The engagement ended when an F-35C from the carrier intercepted and destroyed the drone. The carrier was operating roughly 500 miles from Iran's southern coast at the time. How the Navy responded CENTCOM described a stepwise response. Sailors and aviators first used measured warnings and other de-escalatory actions. When those attempts failed and the drone continued its approach, commanders authorized a shoot-down to protect the ship and crew. An F-35C launched from the carrier executed the intercept, which is the kind of quick, on-scene decision sailors train for and the public mostly learns about afterward. What officials said The White House and CENTCOM framed the action as necessary and proportionate. Press officials stressed the drone was unmanned and acted aggressively. U.S. spokespeople also flagged a later incident in the Strait of Hormuz where two Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps gunboats threatened a U.S.-flagged tanker and attempted to board it. That sequence underlines how one episode can be followed…
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