Dear editor:
Iran electronically, from the ground, took control of an American robotic plane and landed it in one piece in Iran, apparently to copy or improve on the technology of the robot. Iran's technological ability to take control of the American robot and land it in good shape suggests Iran may have the ability to take control of an in-flight Airbus and or a subsystem such as pressurization and oxygen supplied to the crew and passengers from the ground or someone aboard (suicide terrorist) to bring down a large passenger plane.
Is it not possible that Iran, Russia or some other country has acquired such technology? The Airbus, much like many American passenger and military plane, are "fly by wire" and susceptible to control by anyone with a high technical capability and an understanding of the onboard technology of any robotic plane or other mechanism. The U.S. may have become overconfident and so egotistical we have lost our edge on hi-technology in some areas? I suggest this may be the case.
Chuck Lilly
Hot Springs
Editorial on 03/27/2015