Special to WorldTribune.com

NICOSIA — Iran has been asked for data of an advanced U.S. unmanned
aerial vehicle captured in 2011.

Officials said the Iranian Defense Ministry has been approached by at
least two U.S. adversaries for inspection of the RQ-170 Sentinel.

The officials said China and Russia were requesting data from the advanced unmanned reconnaissance platform, downed in eastern Iran in December 2011.

“We have received numerous requests regarding the UAV,” an official
said.

The RQ-170, deployed by the U.S. Air Force in Afghanistan, has been
deemed one of the most advanced reconnaissance platforms. Iran displayed what appeared to be an intact Sentinel days after it went missing in a mission in Iran.

Iranian Defense Ministry adviser Ahmed Karimpour said China and Russia have been most persistent in requests for access to Sentinel. He did not say whether Teheran would fulfill the requests by Beijing and Moscow.

Western diplomatic sources said Teheran was believed to have already
provided China and Russia with access to the RQ-170 within weeks of its
capture. They said such access was expected as part of the extensive defense
and military cooperation by Beijing and Moscow with Teheran.

“The statements now are part of a campaign to warn the Americans against
BMD [ballistic missile defense] cooperation with Gulf Arabs,” a diplomat
said.

  Ahmed Karimpour, China were eager to inspect captured U.S. drone, Iran says Russia, Iranian Defense Ministry, Russia, U.S. RQ-170 Sentinel UAV