IRGC Spokesman Says Iran Will Begin Reverse-Engineering Captured US Underwater Drone

Brigadier General Hossein Mohebbi, the spokesman for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), said in an interview published on Tuesday that Iran will begin reverse-engineering a US underwater drone that was captured by IRGC Navy forces. He described the vessel as containing advanced technology that has come into Iranian hands.

Speaking about the performance of Iran's Armed Forces against advanced US military equipment during what he described as the recent US-Israeli aggression, Mohebbi said the conflict demonstrated that the most advanced US technologies used in the military and defense industries have come under Iran's control. He cited the US F-35 fighter jet as a prominent example, noting that the aircraft incorporates advanced technologies in areas including body alloys, stealth capabilities, flight ceiling and weapons-carrying capacity. According to the IRGC spokesman, the F-35 was targeted by the emerging and advanced air-defense systems of the IRGC Aerospace Force.

Mohebbi also referred to the capture of a US underwater vessel by IRGC Navy forces, saying, "This advanced technology exists in the underwater vessel that fell into the hands of the IRGC Navy forces, and its reverse engineering will begin." He further pointed to Iran's possession of various types of aircraft, underwater vessels and unmanned vessels, stating, "Today, we have a collection of different combat, support, transport, and reconnaissance aircraft."

According to Reuters, analysts say Iran is unlikely to gain a decisive military advantage from the captured underwater drone, but the episode nonetheless represents an awkward setback for Washington's efforts to project technological superiority. The report by Mehr News, citing Press TV and Reuters, added that the IRGC spokesman's remarks were made in an interview published on Tuesday.