"a prize almost beyond value to the United States" ..history's RQ-170 UH OH for the USA in Iran

The Akutan Zero, also known as Koga’s Zero and the Aleutian Zero, was a type 0 model 21 Mitsubishi A6M Zero Japanese fighter plane that crash-landed on Akutan Island, Alaska Territory, during World War II. It was captured intact by the Americans in July 1942 and became the first flyable Zero acquired by the United States during the war. It was repaired and flown by American test pilots. As a result of information gained from these tests, American tacticians were able to devise ways to defeat the Zero, which was the Imperial Japanese Navy’s primary fighter plane throughout the war.

The Akutan Zero has been described as “a prize almost beyond value to the United States”, and “probably one of the greatest prizes of the Pacific war”. Japanese historian Masatake Okumiya stated that the acquisition of the Akutan Zero “was no less serious” than the Japanese defeat at the Battle of Midway, and that it “did much to hasten Japan’s final defeat”. On the other hand, John Lundstrom is among those who challenge “the contention that it took dissection of Koga’s Zero to create tactics that beat the fabled airplane”.

The result of this Zero was the stoppage of production of the F4F Wildcat and the rushed, and incredibly successful design and production of the F6F Hellcat, a plane which had but ONE PURPOSE…KILLING ZEROS

The direct and measurable effect?

The battle of the Phillipine Sea - which effectively eliminated the Imperial Japanese Navy’s ability to conduct large-scale carrier actions. It took place during the United States’ amphibious invasion of the Mariana Islands during the Pacific War. The battle was the fifth of five major “carrier-versus-carrier” engagements between American and Japanese naval forces, and involved elements of the United States Navy’s Fleet as well as ships and land-based aircraft from the Imperial Japanese Navy’s Combined Fleet and nearby island garrisons. The battle was nicknamed the ‘Great Marianas Turkey Shoot’[2] in American accounts, for the severely disproportional loss ratio inflicted upon Japanese aircraft by American pilots and anti-aircraft gunners. American forces suffered much lighter losses, and a pilot from the U.S.S. Lexington supposedly remarked that “This is like an old-time turkey shoot!” during the battle.

Japanese Aircraft Losses ~750 planes to 123 US.

So as you read about the RQ-170 drone remember the value of military research continuing, RAPIDLY and that this could turn out to be a disaster

This is the RQ-170

This is the X-47B COMBAT ATTACK DRONE

Any questions?