An American pilot rescued from Iran about three months ago described in an intelligence debriefing how he witnessed advanced Iranian drones moving in a “jellyfish-like formation,” connected to each other and operating as a single entity, CNN reported Tuesday.
“Multiple drones interconnected and moving as one with smaller drones below the bigger drones like legs,” the pilot said, according to a source familiar with his testimony quoted by the network. He added that it was “real alien s**t” and a “minefield of drones” hovering in the air. The unusual description raises concerns that Iran has significantly upgraded its military drone capabilities.
The pilot was rescued within hours, but the navigator, who was seriously injured, was forced to hide in the Zagros Mountains for more than a day after Iran placed a bounty on his head. The circumstances of the fighter jet’s downing are still under investigation.
According to Iran International, Israeli officials claimed that at least two elite IDF units, Shayetet 13 and Sayeret Matkal, participated in the dramatic rescue operation of the American pilot after his aircraft was shot down over Iranian airspace.