An anonymous Pentagon official revealed last weekend why US air defenses missed an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) of pro-Iranian militias during the attack on Tower 22 base in Jordan, killing three soldiers on January 28.
"The enemy aircraft disguised as US UAVs were returning to land to approach the target. The attackers saw the opportunity and took full advantage of it," the official said.
The Wall Street Journal previously quoted an official as saying that the militia UAV had disguised itself as a US drone, confusing defense forces as they could not determine whether the incoming target was a friendly or hostile aircraft.
"Covering" is a tactic commonly used in air attacks, when military aircraft closely follow or fly directly above enemy civilian or military aircraft, making it impossible for radar systems to identify and distinguish the target.
Tower 22 base in satellite image taken on October 12, 2023. Photo: Planet Labs
It is unclear what air defense systems the US has deployed at Tower 22, but the facility has never been attacked and has a much thinner defense grid than bases in Iraq and Syria that are frequently attacked by pro-Iranian militias. US officials announced on January 30 that they were strengthening the air defense shield at Tower 22 to counter the threat from UAVs.
Washington blamed the Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI), a coalition of pro-Tehran militias, for the attack. The US on February 2 launched a large-scale airstrike on the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Tehran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria in retaliation for the attack.
The US airstrikes destroyed or damaged 84 targets in the two countries, but did not appear to cause any casualties among Iranian forces. White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan warned on February 4 that the retaliation was just "the beginning."
Vu Anh (According to Politico, Wall Street Journal )
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