Drudge Retort: The Other Side of the News
Tuesday, June 23, 2026

A US fighter jet pilot rescued by special forces after being shot down over Iran in April described a shocking sight before ejecting from his aircraft: multiple Iranian drones hovering in the air, moving as one, in a formation that resembled a jellyfish, according to four sources familiar with the matter.

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More: The account, which has not been previously reported, was shared by the F-15 pilot with intelligence officials during a debriefing after the incident. It immediately set off a firestorm of debate within the US intelligence community that has yet to be resolved.

If the airman really saw what he described " a formation moving in unison " it would be an alarming advance in Iranian drone capabilities.

"Multiple drones interconnected and moving as one with smaller drones below the bigger drones like legs," one of the sources familiar with the pilot's witness account told CNN. "Real alien sh*t."

Another source told CNN the pilot described witnessing a "minefield of drones" in the air.

#1 | Posted by qcp at 2026-06-23 11:27 AM | Reply

Sounds like China is being provided a free proving grounds for their latest technology, courtesy of the American Taxpayer, just like the No Fly Zones over Iraq.

#2 | Posted by snoofy at 2026-06-23 11:34 AM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

If they can do this over their cities imagine what they can do with a swarm full of explosive packed drones.

#3 | Posted by qcp at 2026-06-23 11:51 AM | Reply

And before someone cries fake or AI on the image. Here's where I got it. www.youtube.com

#4 | Posted by qcp at 2026-06-23 11:53 AM | Reply

Can you imagine 22,000 angry drones hunting you?

The Singularity is ever closer.

#5 | Posted by donnerboy at 2026-06-23 12:10 PM | Reply

Iran didn't need China to develop this.

They have a robust domestic drone capability.

#6 | Posted by Effeteposer at 2026-06-23 12:17 PM | Reply

Can you imagine 22,000 angry drones hunting you?
The Singularity is ever closer.
#5 | Posted by donnerboy

It's happening right now on the web.

DuckDuckGo kills seven trackers every time I load this page on my phone.

#7 | Posted by snoofy at 2026-06-23 12:20 PM | Reply

Now they'll have $300B in our taxpayer money to develop further.

Republicans, remember: You asked for this.

Given the choice between a dozen solid conservatives and one Clinton-supporting con-artist and game-show host, you chose the con-artist.

You chose him freely. Nobody made you do it.

#8 | Posted by lee_the_agent at 2026-06-23 12:43 PM | Reply

#1 | Posted by qcp at 2026-06-23 11:27 AM | Reply | Flag:

Don't leave off the part where he had not one, but two concussions.

#9 | Posted by sitzkrieg at 2026-06-23 01:25 PM | Reply

I can't believe they put those guys back in jets right after they were shot down by the princess.

#10 | Posted by sitzkrieg at 2026-06-23 01:26 PM | Reply


Sounds like China is being provided a free proving grounds for their latest technology, courtesy of the American Taxpayer, just like the No Fly Zones over Iraq.

#2 | POSTED BY SNOOFY

You come up with that all by yourself? Or did you read a magazine that was 3years old?

#11 | Posted by oneironaut at 2026-06-23 02:20 PM | Reply

I can't believe they put those guys back in jets right after they were shot down by the princess.

Lack of pilots?

#12 | Posted by oneironaut at 2026-06-23 02:20 PM | Reply

Fuck off imbecile.

#13 | Posted by LegallyYourDead at 2026-06-23 02:21 PM | Reply

Decades and decades of useless US sanctions have hardened the Iranian economy and drove them to Russia and China.

And Iran still managed to obtain Western funds through Bitcoin exchanges. Dummkopf Trumpf had pardoned one of these notorious crypto-currency goniffs.

Living in the neighborhood of belligerent Israel, the Iranians developed inexpensive asymmetric countermeasures, drones, which they have sold to the Kremlin-- the Shaheeds, for example.

One of Iran's cabinet ministers confessed that his country still has stockpiles of drones left.

I believe him.

Just imagine the ammunition stockpiles in North Korea after decades and decades of isolation.

For oil-poor Israel, the US shunned oil-rich Iran.

Under the notorious Shah, Iran was a US military ally in CENTO, a now defunct NATO analog in the Middle East.

Decades of foreign interference in the US body politic-- followed up with healthy dollops of irrational Islamophobia-- have prevented detente between Wash DC and Tehran-- and the 1980s Iran-Contra Affair exposed American duplicity.

Note that on 12 Nov 2001, Iran still tried to become friends again with the US. The Iranian IRGC-QF helped USSOF topple the Taliban in the city of Herat, paving the way for the US to initially depose the Taliban and root out al-Qaida operatives in Afghanistan.

Years later, Dummkopf Trumpf would later assassinate that IRGC-QF commander, a beloved military hero named General Qasem Soleimani.

The $300bn will go far in Iran to rebuild the country we attacked on behalf of Israel, replenish Tahran's drone stockpiles, and provide 100% universal healthcare for all their residents. Presently Iran is at 95%, which is a galaxy farther down the road than the US and our 'BBB.'

Endnote: The airwing of the Chinese PLA have developed these aerial drone carriers while the US will be wasting billions and billions of dollars building sinkable paleolithic Trumpf-class battleships.

#14 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 2026-06-23 03:33 PM | Reply

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