The drone “aggressively approached” the aircraft carrier with “unclear intent”. (Photo: Reuters) US Central Command on Tuesday said a Navy fighter jet shot down an Iranian drone that was approaching the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea.
In an emailed statement Tuesday, US Central Command said the drone “aggressively approached” the aircraft carrier with “unclear intent” and it “continued to fly toward the ship despite de-escalatory measures taken by US forces operating in international waters.”
According to the US military, the shootdown also occurred within hours of another incident in which Iranian forces harassed a US-flagged and US-crewed merchant vessel that was sailing in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Shahed-139 drone was shot down by an F-35C fighter jet from the Lincoln, which, according to US Central Command, was sailing about 800 kilometres from Iran’s southern coast. The military’s statement noted that no American troops were harmed and no equipment was damaged.
