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Yes they do http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2011/12/downed_cia_drone_was_it_rigged_to_self_destruct_.html http://www.slate.com/articl

Yes they do http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2011/12/downed_cia_drone_was_it_rigged_to_self_destruct_.html http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/20... The US has the means to destroy it if they choose to - the Iranians can't stop a cruise missile or a stealth bomber. It was a political calculation NOT to destroy it.

dsl 15y ago
The link you cite refers to first gen drones and then dives quickly into "probably" territory. It goes on to state the reason they don't bother with on-board self destruct anymore... if you had any working comms with which to trigger it, you'd just use that to regain control. They absolutely have the means. Good friends of mine ran intercept and recovery operations in Afganistan and Iraq. Further I agree completely that it was a political calculation. The risk of flying a fighter (it would be near impossible to retask a bomber or cruise missle into the role) and a recovery team into Iran's borders was way higher than the risk of them recovering anything sensitive.