Here is another slant;
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htairfo/articles/20090319.aspx
I’m dubious. Using a drone to scout out smuggling routes sounds like something the USA would do, not the Mad Dog Mullahs. In that part of the world, they would be more likely to bride the border guards. Been doing that for thousands of years and it works well. Especially if you know where the border guard lives and can deliver a head shot to a family member if something goes wrong.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ababil
It is programmable to go to a waypoint and return. I think somebody put in the wrong waypoint and they didn’t notice until it was to late to change it. So they were hoping it got back within com range to change the way point. After looking at the specs, this would be a good platform for hunting Delta Force or LURPs teams in the mountains of Iran.
The whole thing smells so fishy that there is certain to be more here then meets the eye.
UAV’s don’t just wander around. Why shoot it down? An F-16 going past at Mach 1.2 would tear it apart, which would be a much better way of knocking it down. Bullets ALWAYS fall to earth somewhere. Why take a chance on a 20mm HE shell shredding some 4 year old playing in his back yard, 14,000 feet below you and 2 miles away? Messages are sent in many ways in the Middle East.
