A US fighter jet pilot rescued after being shot down over Iran in April described an unusual scene moments before ejecting from his aircraft — multiple Iranian drones hovering together and moving in unison, in a pattern that resembled a jellyfish, CNN reported, citing four sources familiar with the matter.
According to the network, the F-15 pilot shared this account with intelligence officials during a post-incident debriefing, sparking an unresolved debate within the US intelligence community over what he actually witnessed.
How The Formation Was Described
CNN quoted one source familiar with the pilot's account as describing multiple drones interconnected and moving as one, with smaller drones positioned beneath larger ones "like legs," adding it was "real alien sh**."
Another source told the outlet the pilot described seeing a "minefield of drones" in the sky.
Two of the sources reportedly said initial assessments suggested the drone formation may have somehow helped enable Iran to shoot down the American jet, though the exact cause of the downing remains under investigation.
The Technical Explanation
The capability described by the pilot is known as "one-to-many meshed networking," a system that allows a single operator to control multiple drones simultaneously.
Russia and China are believed to already possess this capability, and two sources said Iran had received outside assistance from both countries in developing its drone program.
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CNN added that meshed networking could theoretically also serve benign purposes, such as providing internet connectivity in remote areas, according to one US official cited in the report.
Doubts And Disagreement
CNN reported that intelligence officials were divided on how much weight to give the pilot's account, partly because he was concussed in the crash and was being debriefed after his second shootdown of the conflict, having also been hit earlier in a friendly-fire incident involving Kuwaiti forces.
The outlet quoted one source describing officials as having asked the pilot, "Are you sure you saw what you are saying you saw?"
The US Air Force referred its questions to US Central Command, which did not directly respond, while the Office of the Director of National Intelligence did not comment.
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