 Editor in Chief Bill   | 03 Feb 2026 11:37 a.m. PST |
CENTCOM says an F-35C fighter jet from USS Abraham Lincoln shot down Iranian drone in 'self-defense' Fox News: link Six armed Iranian vessels attempted to board the tanker before a US Navy ship escorted it to safety Fox News: link |
| OSCS74 | 03 Feb 2026 11:50 a.m. PST |
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35thOVI  | 03 Feb 2026 12:33 p.m. PST |
Yes, saw both stories on the web. The drone was heading toward the Abe Lincoln and the patrol boots heading toward a tanker. |
| Cuprum2 | 04 Feb 2026 4:17 a.m. PST |
What's the point of attacking with a lone drone? Perhaps only as a "warning shot"… |
| 35thOVI | 04 Feb 2026 5:15 a.m. PST |
You know, once you get them started, these fundamentalist Muslims have a tendency to "drone" on and on. 😏 |
| Cuprum2 | 04 Feb 2026 5:44 a.m. PST |
Or a provocation by someone who doesn't want things to end peacefully. |
| 79thPA | 04 Feb 2026 7:06 a.m. PST |
Probably a surveilance drone to test reaction. |
| Micman | 04 Feb 2026 8:23 a.m. PST |
Well that is a more cost effective option that using a SM2. 42k an hour for an F35 vs 2 million+ for a SM2. Still not even balancing out. A Shahed is estimated to cost between 20k to 50k. I will be very happy when we deployed a anti drone weapon that has a cost less than the darn drones. |
| SBminisguy | 04 Feb 2026 9:12 a.m. PST |
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| Micman | 04 Feb 2026 11:25 a.m. PST |
Laser and microwave devices seem to be the best bet. I have seen some videos of tests that look promising. |
| SBminisguy | 04 Feb 2026 1:30 p.m. PST |
There are also two types of drones -- long distance drones like the Shaheed which are basically prop-driven cruise missiles, and short range drones that normally pose a swarm threat to close-in-shore within a few miles to a few tens of miles. I'm sure this will change as someone deployes a drone carrier drone… |
| Cuprum2 | 04 Feb 2026 3:48 p.m. PST |
SBminisguy, these drones have been fighting in Ukraine for a year now. link |
 Legion 4 | 04 Feb 2026 4:26 p.m. PST |
Iran's leadership is trying to show strength … As they know what the US & IDF can do. But they are very bold, they only understand strength, and they are always demonstrating their predilection for showing how strong they are. Even if they know again, the US & IDF could strike back very hard. Reports are they are trying to rebuild their demolished nuke producing sites. They still want to be a nuclear power. That aspiration has not ceased. They will try to buy time. Time to get their nuke program up and running again. They only respect strength and power. Just more reasons for the POTUS to unleash US firepower. With the USN, etc. moving in the waters off Iran. My guess, within 3-7 days the US will strike … The regime is very weak, along with riots in many of their cities. This may be the best time to strike. |
| OSCS74 | 04 Feb 2026 4:35 p.m. PST |
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| Cuprum2 | 04 Feb 2026 4:41 p.m. PST |
That's not bad. Oil prices will rise significantly.
Especially if the conflict lasts a long time. |
