POTUS briefed on F-15 pilots

President Donald Trump has been briefed on the downing of an F-15 fighter jet over Iran. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and state media claimed to have shot down a U.S. fighter jet over central Iran. While this is possible, the chances are better that there was a malfunction and the pilots had to bail.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and state media claimed to have shot down a U.S. fighter jet over central Iran, specifically in the mountainous Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province.

Initial Iranian reports claimed the aircraft was an F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter. However, subsequent photos of wreckage released by Iranian media suggest the aircraft may be an F-15E Strike Eagle, likely from the 494th Fighter Squadron based at RAF Lakenheath. So it's more likely the IRGC is using propaganda photos and got it wrong.

U.S. officials for weeks have insisted the U.S. and Israel have "complete control over Iranian skies," and recently sent the slower, non-stealthy B-52 bombers into Iran, underscoring how confident they were that Iranian airpower had been nearly eliminated.

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"We are in this military operation . . .  for 32 days," Trump said in an address Wednesday. "And the country has been eviscerated and essentially is really no longer a threat."

"They have no anti-aircraft equipment," Trump added. "Their radar is 100% annihilated. We are unstoppable." 

Aviation experts say the aircraft seen in the circulating footage appears consistent with an F-15 based on several distinctive features, including its twin vertical tails, wide fuselage, and dual-engine configuration. The F-15s widely spaced engine intakes and rectangular air inlets are also key identifiers that distinguish it from other U.S. fighter jets.

Hopefully, the pilots are in hiding or have been taken in by friendly Iranians. We will likely soon find out.

More to follow from this breaking story.

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Drones spotted over US military bases in Germany and UK

Don't panic: AI generated

Security worries about drones aren't just a U.S. thing anymore; now they've been seen flying over U.S. military bases in the UK and Germany over the last month, according to various news sources.

Last month, a bunch of drones appeared several times over three U.S. Air Force bases in Great Britain — RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, and RAF Feltwell in Norfolk. This caused British troops and local police to spring into action, as reported by the Daily Mail on Friday. Defense sources called it a "coordinated" operation. 

Fortunately for the drones, British cops don't generally carry guns.

The U.S. Air Force confirmed in a news release on November 26 that drones were spotted over these bases since November 20. They also mentioned spotting drones at another base, RAF Fairford, which houses four U.S. B-52 bombers for Bomber Task Force 25-1. Other aircraft like F-35 and F-15 fighters, KC-135 tankers, and RC-135 surveillance planes are stationed at the other bases.

"To date, installation leaders have determined that none of the incursions impacted base residents, facilities or assets," the release stated. "The Air Force is taking all appropriate measures to safeguard the aforementioned installations and their residents. The number of systems has fluctuated, and they have ranged in sizes and configurations."

The Air Force didn't specify if they took any action against the drones but noted, "we retain the right to protect our installations." But did they?

In Germany, Der Spiegel, a news magazine, reported on Friday that drones were seen over the Ramstein Air Base, which is a major U.S. military hub in Europe, on the evenings of December 3 and December 4.

"At the beginning of December, there were several sightings of small, unmanned aircraft systems in the area and above Ramstein Air Base," a base spokeswoman told Der Spiegel. "They had no impact on the residents of the base or on the facilities and military equipment there." She also mentioned that the U.S. military is cooperating with German officials on this.

Philip Ingram, a former British military intelligence colonel, said that the drone sightings in Great Britain had "all the hallmarks" of an operation by Russia's secretive GRU spy agency.

"It's a distinct possibility if not a certain probability this is all down to Russian intelligence," he said. "They and the GRU are just a bunch of petulant little boys. They're trying to suggest they have the ability to disrupt and influence through a level of nuisance action.

"I would say we will see another flurry of activity in the next few months for sure. Whether drones or something else, I suspect something else."

Der Spiegel also mentioned that drones had been seen over facilities of the German arms company Rheinmetall and the chemical giant BASF recently, though where they came from isn't known.

There's no proof to link the drone sightings in Great Britain and Germany to the regular drone sightings happening at night in New Jersey and nearby areas, which have sparked concerns about safety and security.

Heaven forfend anyone takes the initiative and shoot the suckers out of the sky.

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