A new report from the Washington Post claims that U.S. military forces in Jordan likely did not detect the approach of the drone that ended up killing three American troops last week, noting there wasn’t an air defense system located on-site that possessed the capabilities of taking it out, according to the initial assessment of the incident by the military.
The drone was made by Iran, which just goes to show that the government of that nation is hostile to the United States, something that should not be a shock when you consider how many of their people take to the streets on a regular basis to declare “death to America.” At this point, it’s become the country’s official slogan.
And yet, for whatever reason, Democrats like Joe Biden and Barack Obama have been chomping at the bit to send them billions of dollars as part of a nuclear deal. That really seems fishy, right?
The early findings, which have not been previously reported, indicate that the drone may have been missed “due to its low flight path,” a U.S. defense official with direct knowledge of the assessment told The Washington Post. Additionally, this person said, the base, known as Tower 22, was not outfitted with weapons that can “kill” aerial threats like drones, and instead relied on electronic warfare systems designed to disable them or disrupt their path to a target.
A common strategy among drone operators and other pilots seeking to minimize or evade radar detection is to fly low to the ground. Another U.S. official affirmed the military’s belief that the drone flew too low to be detected. Both officials, like some others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive and ongoing investigation. Defense officials have stressed that assessments can change as investigators learn more.
When you put all of the pieces together, the preliminary findings clash with the previous assertions that American air defenses simply mistook the drone for one belonging to the U.S. that was simply returning to base.
What’s truly worrisome is how in the world the greatest military force on Earth lacks the proper technology to handle threats from drones built by countries that are supposedly years behind us in the development of these kinds of weapons. It’s absurd. We’re supposed to be a superpower. There’s no way this sort of attack should have been able to happen.
U.S. Central Command, which is responsible for providing oversight for all military activity throughout the region, has refused to state whether or not officials think the militants responsible for the drone attack had knowledge of the limited defenses of the base.
In a statement, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said Central Command continues to review the attack. “For operations security reasons, we won’t discuss specific force protection measures or potential posture changes,” she said. “However, as always, we are committed to taking necessary measures to safeguard our forces [who serve] in harm’s way.”
The attack, which occurred on Jan. 28, resulted in the deaths of three Army reservists hailing from Georgia. A number of assaults have been launched on American positions in the Middle East ever since Hamas, a Palestinian terrorist organization, attacked Israel in October 2023. Many of these attacks have been carried out by groups funded by Iran. Clearly, there are attempts being made to pull the United States into some sort of major armed conflict in the Middle East.
Although Tower 22 was outfitted with “multiple” electronic warfare systems capable of taking drones offline, it had limited means to protect itself. The defense official with direct knowledge of the military’s early assessment said the outpost was deemed a relatively low-threat environment. “This was based on the vast majority of the threats and 99 percent of the [Iranian-proxy] attacks being against facilities in Iraq and Syria,” the official told The Post.
There are some changes already being made to the base’s defense in light of the attack. “We are not waiting for the investigation to be complete to implement changes from lessons learned in the tragic attack on Tower 22,” the official remarked.
Related: How an Escalation in Drone Warfare Cost Three U.S. Servicemen Their Lives
The situation has led to a call for improved drone detection systems that will provide additional time for American personnel to properly identify and destroy threats before they put lives at risk.
Experts note that there are other solutions, known as passive defenses, that can be used to obscure or shield against aerial attacks. Anti-drone nets, for instance, and other barriers such as chain fences have been installed overhead at vulnerable sites in Ukraine to block or detonate drones before they can hit their intended targets.
Let’s hope proper measures are taken to ensure we do not see another drop of American blood spilled by a drone attack from those who are quickly making themselves our enemies.