The drone that killed three U.S. service members and injured dozens more at the Tower 22 outpost in Jordan was an Iranian-made Shahed series unmanned aerial vehicle, according to anonymous sources within the U.S. Department of Defense. If true, targeting Iran’s drone manufacturing capabilities could be part of the White House’s response to the Jan. 28 attack.
So, how was an enemy drone able to get past Tower 22’s defenses? A U.S.-operated drone was said to be returning to the outpost at the same time the Shahed approached, causing confusion over whether it was friend or foe.
Tower 22 is a small U.S. military outpost where about 350 soldiers and airmen from the Army and Air Force are stationed as part of the ongoing fight with the Islamic State. The Pentagon said the drone struck the sleeping quarters at Tower 22 early in the morning, explaining, in part, why so many service members were killed or injured.
Iran has several different types of drones which it shares with its terror proxies throughout the region. Iranian state television often airs footage of Iran’s military practicing against what look like mockups of Western targets.
Like some other outposts, bases or military facilities the U.S. operates in the Middle East, Tower 22 did have counter UAV systems in place to defend against such attacks. In particular, Tower 22 is equipped with RTX’s Coyote drone interceptors, which should have made quick work of any Shaheds on approach, but only if they were working.
U.S. Central Command — which oversees military operations in the Middle East — said it’s reevaluating its bases’ air defenses and procedures when dealing with drones following the fatal attack.
The White House is also weighing options on how to respond. President Joe Biden said he doesn’t want to escalate the situation or lead the U.S. into a war with Iran.
Aside from the Tower 22 strike in Jordan, Iranian-backed militias launched more than 160 separate strikes on U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria since the war in Gaza broke out. While no one died in those attacks, it wasn’t for lack of trying.
That’s why former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Mick Mulroy told the BBC that the U.S. should “hit Iran with more force than we have used to date.”
Mulroy is not alone in that sentiment.
Options for striking back at Iran could include Iranian troops or proxies inside Syria, inside Iraq, or even inside Iranian territory. Of course, striking Iranian drone-making facilities is a sound strategy as well.
Iran’s military drone industry is a point of pride in the country, and widely celebrated. Defensive agreements with Russia also mean Iran sends Shaheds to Moscow for Putin to use in Ukraine. Taking out Tehran’s capacity to make drones could be a “two birds, one stone” scenario for the U.S. and its allies.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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