Retired col. explains how US can prevent Russia from gathering intel from drone

THEY DON'T HAVE A PERMANENT ONE. >> THEY HAD A HEARING. WE'LL SEE IF IT BECOMES PERMANENT. WE'LL GET TO THAT LATER IN THE SHOW. ALSO, WE'RE SEEING TENSION ESCALATE AFTER THE PENTAGON SAID THAT A RUSSIAN FIGHTER JET.

CLIPPED A U.S. SPY DRONE AND FORCED THE U.S. TO DOWN IT. THE DANGEROUS ENCOUNTER HAPPENED OVER THE BLACK SEA. A RUSSIAN JET DUMPED FUEL ON THE DRONE SEVERAL TIMES THEN CLIPPED THE PROPELLER WHICH FORCED THE U.S. TO DOWN IT INTO THE WATER NEARBY.

THEY'RE STILL WORKING TO RECOVER IT THIS MORNING, ACTUALLY. NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL SPOKESMAN SAID THE CONFRONTATION IS RECKLESS. >> WE DON'T WANT TO SEE THIS WAR ESCALATE BEYOND WHAT IT ALREADY HAS DONE TO THE UKRAINIAN PEOPLE.

SO THIS IS CLEARLY — THIS WAS INAPPROPRIATE, UNSAFE, UNPROFESSIONAL CONDUCT BY THE RUSSIAN PILOTS. >> AFTER THAT HAPPENED, THE U.S. SUMMONED RUSSIA'S AMBASSADOR TO THE STATE DEPARTMENT. YOU CAN SEE HIM HERE. HE WAS GOING IN AND WAS THERE.

FOR 30 MINUTES. HE CLAIMED THERE WAS NO COLLISION. THE U.S. HAS BEEN WARNED NOT TO ENTER U.S. AIRSPACE THAT'S SWAR — AS THIS WAR IS RAGING ON IN UKRAINE. >> YOU WILL SEE WHAT WILL BE THE ACTION OF THE UNITED STATES IF.

YOU SEE SUCH RUSSIAN DRONES VERY CLOSE, FOR EXAMPLE, TO SAN FRANCISCO OR NEW YORK. WHAT WILL THE UNITED STATES DO? FOR ME, IT'S CLEAR. >> THOSE ARE COMMENTS HE MADE AFTER LEAVING THE STATE DEPARTMENT YESTERDAY. AGAIN, THAT IS THE RUSSIAN.

AMBASSADOR TO THE U.S. ALL THIS COMES AS PRESIDENT PUTIN IS ABOUT TO MAKE A PUBLIC APPEARANCE ANY MOMENT NOW. WE'RE WAITING TO SEE IF HE WEIGHS IN ON THE DRONE INCIDENT. OUR NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER NATASHA BERTRAND IS COVERING THIS DEVELOPING STORY.

THE U.S. SAYS THE INTERCEPTIONS HAPPENS ALL THE TIME. THE WAY THIS HAPPENED, THIS CONTACT BETWEEN THE RUSSIA AND THE U.S. MILITARIES, FIRST WE'VE SEEN OF SOMETHING LIKE THIS. THIS GRAVE. WHAT ELSE DO WE KNOW? >> OF COURSE IT COMES AT A VERY.

SENSITIVE TIME BETWEEN THE U.S. AND RUSSIA. OBVIOUSLY, THEY'RE BOTH OPERATING IN THE REGION AND THE POTENTIAL FOR ESCALATION AND MISCALCULATION IS VERY HIGH. SO WHAT WE'RE LEARNING IS THAT THE RUSSIAN FIGHTER JETS KIND OF TRACKED THIS DRONE FOR ABOUT 30.

TO 40 MINUTES OVER THE BLACK SEA, IN INTERNATIONAL WATERS, BEFORE COMING CLOSE TO THE DRONE AND ACTUALLY DUMPING FUEL ON IT. AND THEN GOING BEHIND THE DRONE AND MAKING CONTACT WITH THE PROPELLER CAUSING THE DRONE TO ESSENTIALLY BECOME INOPERABLE, FORCING THE U.S. MILITARY TO.

THEN TAKE IT DOWN OVER INTERNATIONAL WATERS. THE U.S. IS SAYING THE PILOTS LACKED CONFIDENCE AND THEY WERE RECKLESS. WAS THIS AN UNSAFE MANEUVER BY THE PILOT ITSELF OR SOMETHING THAT CAME FROM THE KREMLIN? THE PENTAGON IS NOT SAYING AT.

THIS MOMENT. THEY'RE WARNING THE RUSSIANS THAT THIS KIND OF BEHAVIOR CAN CAUSE AN ESCALATION THAT COULD DRAW THE TWO COUNTRIES INTO A CONFLICT. THE PENTAGON SAYING THAT THERE WAS NO CONFRONTATION — THERE WAS NO COMMUNICATION WHILE THIS.

CONFRONTATION. THAT MAKES US WONDER IF THE LINES OF COMMUNICATION ARE OPENING OPERATING PROPERLY. >> THE U.S. IS WORKING TO RECOVER THIS. WHAT IS THE CONCERN THAT OFFICIALS HAVE IF RUSSIA GETS THERE FIRST?.

>> IT'S UNCLEAR WHETHER THE U.S. WILL BE ABLE TO RECOVER THIS. WE'RE TOLD THAT THERE ARE NO NAVAL ASSETS IN THE BLACK SEA AT THIS MOMENT THAT ARE WORKING TO RECOVER IT. THE WHITE HOUSE HAS SAID THAT THEY HAVE TAKEN STEPS TO PROTECT THEIR EQUITIES.

THEY WOULD NOT GO ANY FURTHER THAN THAT. BUT IMPLYING, ESSENTIALLY, THEY'RE TAKING STEPS TO PREVENT THE DRONE FROM FALLING INTO RUSSIAN HANDS. THE PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY WAS ASKED ABOUT THIS YESTERDAY, WHETHER THE RUSSIANS HAVE BEEN.

THEMSELVES TRYING TO GET AHOLD OF THE DRONE WHICH AGAIN FELL INTO THE BLACK SEA. THEY WOULD NOT GO THERE. WHAT WE'RE TOLD IS THAT THEY ARE TAKING ALL POSSIBLE STEPS TO PREVENT SENSITIVE TECH KNOWLEDGE, OF COURSE, THIS DRONE FROM FALLING INTO RUSSIAN HANDS.

>> ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU. >> OBVIOUSLY, SOMETHING THE WHITE HOUSE IS FOLLOWING. I WANT TO GET NOW TO CNN'S PRESILLA ALVAREZ FROM THE WHITE HOUSE. >> PRESIDENT BIDEN WAS BRIEFED ON THIS YESTERDAY BY NATIONAL.

SECURITY ADVISER JAKE SULLIVAN. THE THROUGH LINE AS YOU HEARD FROM NATASHA IS THAT THE CONTACT BY THE RUSSIAN PILOTS WAS, QUOTE, INAPPROPRIATE, UNSAFE, AND UNPROFESSIONAL. THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN HEARING FROM THE WHITE HOUSE AS THEY'VE ALSO STRESSED THAT INTERCEPTS IN.

THIS REGION ARE COMMON. WHAT WAS DIFFERENT AND UNIQUE ABOUT THIS INCIDENT WAS JUST HOW UNSAFE IT IS. NOW THE WHITE HOUSE HAS ALSO DISMISSED RUSSIA'S DENIAL OF THE INCIDENT AND SAID THAT THEY'RE TAKING STEPS, AGAIN, AS YOU HEARD THERE, TO PROTECT THEIR.

PRIVATE EQUITIES. BUT NOT SHARING MUCH MORE THAN THAT. NOW, OF COURSE, THE ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN IN TOUCH WITH ALLIES GOING SO FAR AS TO ALSO SUMMON THE RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE U.S. TO RELAY THE CONCERNS.

BOTTOM LINE IS REALLY THAT THE U.S. WILL NOT STOP OPERATING IN THIS REGION. DON? >> IS THE WHITE HOUSE HESITANT TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION AGAINST RUSSIA HERE? >> OF COURSE, THIS COMES AT A CRITICAL TIME.

THERE IS ALWAYS RISK OF A DANGEROUS ESCALATION. BUT THEY HAVE STRESSED THEY HAVE THOSE LINES OF COMMUNICATION, THE DIPLOMATIC LINES WITH RUSSIA. WE SAW EVIDENCE OF THAT YESTERDAY AGAIN WITH THE RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE U.S.

AND THAT IS WHERE THEY ARE RIGHT NOW AT RISK, OF COURSE, OF ANY ESCALATION. THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO AVOID. >> THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT. >> LET'S TALK MORE ABOUT WHAT HAS DEVELOPED HERE.

OUR CNN MILITARY ANALYST IS HERE. CEDRIC, GOOD MORNING. EXPLAIN TO US WHAT THE CAPABILITIES ARE OF WHAT IS KNOWN AS AN MQ 9 REAPER DRONE. DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT JOHN KIRBY IS SAYING WHEN HE SAYS THEY'RE WORKING TO, QUOTE,.

PROTECT THE EQUITIES OF IT? HOW DO YOU DO THAT? >> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION, POPPY. GOOD MORNING TO YOU. THE WHOLE BUSINESS HERE IS, OF COURSE, ABOUT SENSITIVE INTELLIGENCE. THE BASIC CAPABILITIES OF THE.

REAPER, IT FLIES AT 50,000 FEET. ALMOST AS HIGH AS THAT BALLOON THAT WE SHOT DOWN OFF THE COAST OF SOUTH CAROLINA. WHAT IT DOES IS IT'S AN INTELLIGENCE COLLECTION PLATFORM. IT CAN BE AN ARMED PLATFORM. IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, I'M.

CERTAIN IT WAS INTELLIGENCE COLLECTION PLATFORM. SUPPORTS STRIKE MISSIONS BUT MAINLY DONE FOR SURVEILLANCE. ONE BIG THING ABOUT THIS IS IT HAS A RANGE OF ABOUT 1150 MILES. IT CAN STAY UP FOR ABOUT 24 HOURS. IT HAS A BIG WING SPAN OF 66.

FEET. IT'S WIDER THAN A LOT OF AIRCRAFT. IT CAN DO A LOT OF COLLECTION INTELLIGENCE SOURCES, SIGNALS AND IMAGERY INTELLIGENCE. P THAT'S WHY IT'S A BIG DEAL TO MAKE SURE THAT RUSSIANS DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW GOOD IT IS AT.

COLLECTING THIS KIND OF INTELLIGENCE. >> DO YOU HAVE ANY INSIGHT INTO HOW THE U.S. COULD REMOTELY IF THEY DON'T GET THEIR HANDS ON IT FIRST, HOW CAN THEY REMOTELY PROTECT THAT INTELLIGENCE? >> THEY CAN ZEROIZE THE EQUIPMENT.

THEY CAN TAKE THE VIDEOS NEWLY AND VOID. ANYBODY WHO LOOKS AT THAT THEN WON'T BE ABLE TO SEE WHAT HAS BEEN TRANSMITTED. >> LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS HAPPENED. IT'S THE DETAILS FROM JOHN KIRBY THAT ARE FASCINATING.

BASICALLY, THE RUSSIAN FIGHTER JETS WERE FLYING IN FRONT OF THE DRONE AND DUMPING FUEL ON IT BEFORE THIS EVEN HAPPENED. YOU THINK IT WAS A MISTAKE THEY CLIPPED THE WING, RIGHT? >> YEAH. I DO THINK THAT, KAITLAN. THE REASON I THINK IT WAS A.

MISTAKE IS WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE WAY IN WHICH THESE DRONES OPERATE AND THE WAY IN WHICH THE RUSSIANS FLY THEIR AIRCRAFT, THEY COME REALLY CLOSE TO THIS. THIS IS A PICTURE OF THE DRONE AS IT'S GETTING READY TO TAKE OFF H WHAT THE RUSSIANS DID IS THEY WENT TO THIS AREA RIGHT.

HERE, DUMPED FUEL ON THIS PART AND THEN THEY MOVED BACK AS THE CRAFT WAS FLYING AND THEY HIT THE PROPELLER RIGHT THERE. THAT WAS THE KEY THING. WHEN IT — WHEN THEY DID THAT, THAT MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE DRONE TO FLY. THE AIR FORCE WHICH WAS.

OPERATING THIS REMOTELY HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO BASICALLY LET IT SINK INTO THE OCEAN INTO THE BLACK SEA. THEY MADE IT THAT WAY BECAUSE THEY NEEDED TO CLEAR IT FROM THE SKY SO IT WASN'T A RISK TO OTHER AVIATION ASSETS. >> WHAT STANDS OUT TO ME IS JUST.

LOOKING AT THE DRONE. IT'S ENORMOUS DRONE. MOST PEOPLE DON'T THINK OF THEM — >> IT'S NOT LIKE A HOUSEHOLD DRONE. >> IT IS. TAKE A LOOK RIGHT HERE, DON. WHAT YOU CAN SEE, 36 FEET IN.

LENGTH, THE WING SPAN IS 66 FEET. COMPARE THAT TO THE RUSSIAN FIGHTER WHICH IS LONGER. WHAT YOU'RE SEEING THERE IS REALLY A RELATIVE COMPARISON. THIS IS A SMALLER AIRCRAFT. IT IS A HIGHLY EFFECTIVE AIRCRAFT.

THESE GUYS CAN FLY FASTER THAN THE REAPER CAN. >> IS THAT A TYPICAL SIZE? >> YEAH. THAT'S THE AVERAGE SIZE OF A REAPER RIGHT HERE AND OF THE

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