An Iranian drone has flown near a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier and its aircraft in a second “unsafe and unprofessional” encounter in a week, the Navy said Monday.
On Sunday night, while the USS Nimitz was conducting fixed-wing flight operations in the Persian Gulf, an Iranian QOM-1 made “several” close passes near the aircraft carrier and its escort ships, spokesman Lt. Ian McConnaughey said in a statement.
During the incident, the drone came within 1,000 feet of U.S. aircraft, he added.
The Iranian drone did not have its navigation lights on despite it being night and did not respond to “repeated” radio calls, according to the statement.
{mosads}“The failure of the Iranian [unmanned aerial vehicle] to utilize standard, internationally mandated navigation lights during a night time approach of a U.S. aircraft carrier engaged in flight operations created a dangerous situation with the potential for collision and is not in keeping with international maritime customs and laws,” McConnaughey said.
Sunday’s incident comes less than a week after an Iranian drone got within 100 feet of a U.S. Navy F/A-18 that was attempting to land on the Nimitz. In that incident, which happened Tuesday, the F-18 had to take evasive action to avoid colliding with the drone.
The Nimitz aircraft carrier arrived in the Persian Gulf late last month to begin launching sorties to strike the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
The Persian Gulf is often the site of run-ins between U.S. and Iranian aircraft and ships. For example, in July, a U.S. Navy patrol ship fired warning shots at an Iranian ship that U.S. officials say got dangerously close.