US pilot reports ‘minefield of drones’ over Iran, sparking intel debate - CNN

A US F-15 pilot shot down over Iran in April told intelligence officials he saw multiple Iranian drones hovering and moving together in a “jellyfish” formation before ejecting, CNN reported, citing four sources familiar with his debriefing.

One source said the pilot described “multiple drones interconnected and moving as one with smaller drones below the bigger drones like legs,” calling it “real alien sh*t.” Another said he reported seeing a “minefield of drones” in the air.

The account triggered debate inside the US intelligence community over whether Iran had demonstrated an advanced drone capability known as “one-to-many meshed networking,” or whether the pilot’s concussion, crash trauma or battlefield conditions may have distorted his recollection.

Debriefers reportedly asked, “Are you sure you saw what you are saying you saw?” CNN said the exact cause of the F-15 downing remains under investigation.