How the enemy drone that killed 3 US soldiers in Jordan evaded detection

An enemy drone launched by Iranian proxies that killed three U.S. soldiers was able to evade detection by approaching the base in Jordan as a U.S. drone was returning to the facility, according to a Defense Department official.

The attackers, members of an Iran-backed militia, saw an “opportunity” and “exploited” it, said the official, who was granted anonymity to discuss a developing security situation.

The assault, which dramatically escalated the situation in the Middle East, has put renewed pressure on the Biden administration to respond more forcefully to the more than 160 attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq, Syria and now Jordan. And former senior military officials are now calling on Biden to respond forcefully, including to strike back at Iran itself.

Meanwhile, the DOD official and a second U.S. official told POLITICO that an hour and a half after the strike on Tower 22, Iranian proxies launched another drone at a U.S. base just across the border in Syria, al-Tanf Garrison. A U.S. drone, RTX’s Coyote uncrewed aerial system, shot it down, the DOD official added.