Iranian drone swarms pose 'credible threat' to USS Abraham Lincoln carrier group, defense expert says

U.S. subject assets headed to the Middle East could look a superior menace from Iranian drone swarms arsenic reports look that Iran’s ultimate person has gone underground, according to a starring subject drone expert.

Cameron Chell, CEO and co-founder of Draganfly, warned that Iran’s increasing reliance connected low-cost unmanned systems poses a credible information to high-value U.S. naval assets, including the USS Abraham Lincoln craft bearer onslaught group.

"Iran’s drone capabilities are worthy good into the tens of millions of dollars," Chell told Fox News Digital.

"By pairing low-cost warheads with inexpensive transportation platforms, fundamentally remotely piloted aircraft, Iran has developed an effectual asymmetric menace against highly blase subject systems."

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In this handout photograph provided by the U.S. Navy, a RIM-7P NATO Sea Sparrow Missile launches from the Nimitz-class craft bearer USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) during a watercourse raid shooting workout connected August 13, 2007, astatine sea.  (M. Jeremie Yoder/U.S. Navy via Getty Images)

Chell said Iran tin motorboat ample numbers of comparatively unsophisticated drones straight astatine naval vessels, creating saturation attacks that could overwhelm accepted defenses.

"If hundreds are launched successful a abbreviated play of time, immoderate are astir definite to get through," Chell said.

"Modern defence systems were not primitively designed to antagonistic that benignant of saturation attack. For U.S. aboveground vessels operating adjacent Iran, warships are premier targets."

The informing comes arsenic a elder U.S. authoritative confirmed to Fox News Digital that the USS Abraham Lincoln craft bearer onslaught radical had not yet crossed into U.S. Central Command’s country of work successful the Indian Ocean.

"It is close, but technically not successful CENTCOM yet," the root said. This would bespeak the bearer onslaught radical is not yet successful a presumption to onslaught Iran.

U.S. officials accidental Washington is reinforcing its subject posture successful effect to increasing instability wrong Iran, boosting its beingness by air, onshore and sea, portion intimately monitoring developments successful Syria.

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An American F-15EX successful action. (U.S. Air Force)

A squadron of F-15 combatant jets has deployed to the region, and C-17 craft carrying dense instrumentality person arrived.

Once the craft bearer onslaught radical enters the CENTCOM country of operations, which should beryllium soon, it volition inactive instrumentality respective days earlier the onslaught is afloat connected station.

Chell noted that U.S. and allied militaries are rapidly processing defenses but uncertainty implicit caller capabilities connected the USS Abraham Lincoln bearer groups for managing aggregate Iranian drones flying successful enactment remains.  He emphasized that Iran’s drone fleet is simply a concern.

"These drones springiness Iran a precise credible mode to endanger aboveground vessels," helium said. "U.S. assets successful the portion are large, slow-moving and easy identifiable connected radar, which makes them targetable."

"Iran’s spot lies alternatively successful these low-cost, high-volume drone systems—particularly one-way onslaught drones designed to alert into a people and detonate."

Chell explained that Iran gained an aboriginal vantage successful what are known arsenic Category One and Category Two drone systems—low-cost platforms that tin beryllium produced successful ample numbers and utilized efficaciously successful asymmetric warfare.

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Iranian absorption radical exposed a top-secret drone basal successful the country. It is said Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei oversees the operation.  (Getty Images/NCRI)

"Category Three systems are a wholly antithetic matter," helium said. "In that area, Iran is decades down the United States."

The U.S. subject buildup coincides with wide unrest wrong Iran. Protests erupted Dec. 28 amid mounting nationalist discontent.

The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said the casualty figures had reached 5,459 arsenic of Sunday, with 17,031 cases nether investigation.

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Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been reported to person moved into a fortified underground structure successful Tehran aft elder officials assessed an accrued hazard of a imaginable U.S. strike, according to reports.

President Donald Trump besides addressed the deployment connected Jan. 21, telling reporters, "We person a large flotilla going successful that direction, and we’ll spot what happens. We person a large unit going towards Iran. I’d alternatively not spot thing happen, but we’re watching them precise closely."