A U.S. fighter pilot, rescued on April 3 after his aircraft went down in Iran, reported encountering unsettling "jellyfish-like" drone formations, suggesting Iran is significantly investing in its drone program to counter adversaries' conventional military technology. Brett Velicovich, a drone expert and founder of Powerus, stated that Iran is adapting its military capabilities at a pace that outstrips U.S. progress.
"Iran has spent years developing capabilities designed to offset the overwhelmingly conventional advantages of the United States and its allies," Velicovich told The Post. The pilot, flying an F-15, described a "minefield of drones" that he believed might have contributed to his aircraft being shot down. He had been hiding in the Zagros Mountains for over a day before his rescue.
Velicovich noted that while the pilot, who suffered a concussion, might have had an altered perception, the sighting could align with the concept of a "mothership" drone. These larger aircraft can manage and coordinate multiple smaller drones, relaying communications and orders. Such mothership drones are a known tactic in conflict zones like Ukraine, where they are used to extend the operational range of smaller drones.
"The mothership goes way up in the air to provide an overview, sometimes connected to a tether, then if it sees something out of the ordinary, it’ll drop a smaller drone like a [First-Person View drone] to conduct strikes or surveillance drones to get the lay of the land," Velicovich explained. He added that smaller drones can also be networked using technologies like Starlink or mesh networks, capabilities that Iran possesses. "Hypothetically, these drones could have been going up very high in the air to gain situational awareness, especially if US forces were in the area. It’s definitely within the art of the possible that this is something the Iranians have."
Velicovich characterized this drone technology as "cutting edge," typically employed by nations actively engaged in warfare, despite being available to "many other countries." He expressed personal concern over the "unpredictability" of these drone capabilities, not just from Iran, but also from rivals such as China and Russia, whose drone programs are reportedly advancing rapidly. "The areas that concern military planners most are not necessarily traditional tanks or fighter jets, but rather drones, ballistic and cruise missiles, electronic warfare, cyber operations and increasingly sophisticated command-and-control networks," he said.