Iran will reverse-engineer the US drone it has in its possession, and is in the “final stages” of unlocking the aircraft’s “secrets”, the head of Iran’s parliamentary national security committee said on Monday.
“Our next action will be to reverse-engineer the aircraft,” Parviz Sorouri said, according to the website of Iranian state television.
“In the near future, we will be able to mass produce it. Iranian engineers will soon build an aircraft superior to the American (drone) using reverse-engineering,” he was quoted as saying.
Iran says it captured the sophisticated US drone, a bat-winged stealthy RQ-170 Sentinel, on December 4 as it was flying in its airspace.
It claimed a Revolutionary Guards cyber-warfare unit hacked the aircraft’s flight controls, and it presented what it said was the drone on state television on Thursday.
US officials, who reportedly said the drone was flying a CIA mission over Iran, have expressed skepticism that Iran has the technology to perform such a hacking feat. They said it was more likely the drone suffered a malfunction.
They have also cast doubts over Iran’s ability to replicate the drone – at least without the help of Russia or China.
Iran to reverse-engineer US drone: Iranian MP
