From Grok:
President Trump’s reported account describes an Iranian drone lodging between two US Apache pilots over the Strait of Hormuz without exploding, later igniting during landing, leading the pilots to ditch the helicopter into the sea for a historic first rescue by an unmanned US Navy surface drone.
US Central Command conducted retaliatory strikes targeting Iranian air defense, radar, and surveillance sites near the strait after the June 9 incident, described as a proportional self-defense response amid ongoing fragile ceasefires involving Iran, Israel, and Hezbollah.
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Maximum speed of the drone is 115 mph. Cruising speed for the Apache is 165 mph with a top speed of 182 mph. No mention of how the drone was able to enter the helicopter but here is Grok’s analysis:
According to President Trump’s account (and consistent with U.S. officials’ descriptions of a collision), this was not the drone peacefully flying inside like a bird through an open window. It was a high-speed impact during a low-altitude patrol:
- The drone struck the Apache with enough kinetic energy to shatter or penetrate the canopy and/or side fuselage panels.
- On impact, the drone’s lightweight composite wings and structure likely sheared or crumpled, while its denser central fuselage (containing the engine, fuel, and warhead) punched inward and became physically embedded in the narrow space between the two tandem seats.
- The armored crew compartment is designed to survive 23 mm cannon fire, but a 200 kg drone hitting at 100+ mph is a completely different level of energy transfer—enough to breach the plexiglass canopy and outer skin without necessarily destroying the entire airframe instantly.
Here is Grok’s analysis of the drone’s structural integrity:
Core Materials and Construction
- Wings: Fiberglass (sometimes with carbon fiber reinforcement in Russian versions). They incorporate an internal honeycomb core for added rigidity while keeping weight extremely low (~200 kg total drone mass). This honeycomb also reduces radar cross-section (RCS) by absorbing/scattering radar waves. osmp.ngo
- Fuselage: Early Iranian versions use lightweight honeycomb throughout. Russian-produced Geran-2s upgraded to fiberglass over woven carbon fiber for slightly better production consistency and durability—but it remains a thin, non-armored composite shell.
- Overall airframe: Delta-wing layout with a simple central fuselage blending into the wings. Some analyses describe the build as “largely foam and plywood” (or foam-core composites) for extreme cost-cutting. tdhj.org No metal armor, reinforced cockpit, or crash-resistant structure—everything prioritizes cheap production, range (up to ~2,000 km in standard form), and basic stealth over toughness.
Needless to say, this is the biggest fish story that I have ever read.
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