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Is Iran Attempting to Thwart U.S. Surveillance of Its Missile Tests?
(Washington Institute for Near East Policy) Farzin Nadimi - Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps speedboats blocked the path of the USNS Invincible, a missile range instrumentation ship, on March 4, forcing the vessel to change course. The Invincible may have been monitoring Iranian missile test activities at the time and has been monitoring Iranian missile tests since 2012. Using the powerful Cobra Gemini dual-band radar, the Invincible can track and plot the detailed trajectory and dynamics of missiles from launch until they reach their target. Other listening equipment can record and decipher encrypted telemetry communications between a missile and its launching party. The harassment of the Invincible was likely part of a concerted effort to hinder effective monitoring of Iran's more sensitive weapons technologies.