Democracy Dies in Darkness
Exclusive

Drone that killed U.S. troops in Jordan likely went undetected

The military’s initial assessment of the attack also has found there was no air defense system on site capable of shooting down the aircraft

February 6, 2024 at 1:53 p.m. EST
A satellite view of Tower 22, the U.S. military outpost in northeast Jordan that was the scene of a deadly drone attack Jan. 28. (Planet Labs Pbc/Reuters)
7 min

U.S. forces probably did not detect the approach of the Iranian-made drone that killed three American soldiers last week at a remote base in Jordan, and there was no air defense system on site capable of shooting it down, the military’s initial assessment of the attack has found.

The early findings, which have not been previously reported, indicate that the drone may have been missed “due to its low flight path,” a U.S. defense official with direct knowledge of the assessment told The Washington Post. Additionally, this person said, the base, known as Tower 22, was not outfitted with weapons that can “kill” aerial threats like drones, and instead relied on electronic warfare systems designed to disable them or disrupt their path to a target.