Admiral Exposes Iran’s New Secret Weapon Taking Down U.S. Helicopters

Summary

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Podcast Summary

Episode Overview

Title: Admiral Exposes Iran’s New Secret Weapon Taking Down U.S. Helicopters
Date: June 10, 2026
Podcast: Brian Kilmeade Show (FOX News Podcasts)
Guests: Admiral Robert Harward

In this dynamic episode, Brian Kilmeade interviews Admiral Robert Harward, a retired U.S. Navy SEAL with deep regional and military expertise. The conversation focuses on recent hostile drone attacks by Iran, evolving drone warfare, the U.S.'s military response, and broader geopolitical implications, including developments in Ukraine. The episode features candid strategic insights, compelling anecdotes, and real-time analysis of shifting conflict on multiple fronts.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Iran’s New Drone Warfare Capability

• A U.S. Apache helicopter was nearly destroyed by an Iranian drone—a first in military conflict.

  • Admiral Harward emphasized this as a pivotal advancement, marking a dangerous new era in drone warfare:
    • "[A] drone hit this helicopter. We've never seen that before. ... Drones now have the ability to target aircraft... So that serves a real advancement in drone technology." (01:18 – Admiral Harward)
  • Drones are now targeting not just stationary land targets but moving aircraft, raising new battlefield risks.

• The episode also describes the use of autonomous surface drones in rescuing downed pilots:

  • "A surface drone picked them up almost like a Waymo on the water.” (00:36 – Brian Kilmeade)
  • Signaling rapid innovations in unmanned retrieval operations.

2. U.S. Retaliation and Escalation Strategy

• President’s response: successive strikes on Iranian assets, described as persistent and intensifying.
  • "The President's ticked off and he hit him in five separate places, four separate waves. And then the Iranians just responded and the President's going after him again." (00:36 – Brian Kilmeade)
• Admiral Harward supports a robust U.S. response, advocating for continued pressure on Iran and skepticism towards negotiations:
  • "I don't think they're going to go anywhere. So I'd like him to continue ... targeting the IRGC and partner with our other allies." (01:18 – Admiral Harward)

3. Impact on Iran’s Regime and Society

• Internal dissent is mounting in Iran, with increasing protests reported.

  • "You're seeing more and more protests in Iran... So the pressure on the government in Iran is just overwhelming..." (03:18 – Admiral Harward)

• Strikes targeting radar and potentially water supplies are designed to weaken both military and civil infrastructure.

  • "If you hit water reservoirs ... that's going to force this thing to turn internally, which is really the end state we'd all like to see if internal change is driven by the Iranian people..." (04:38 – Admiral Harward)

• Admiral Harward suggests targeting IRGC leadership at all levels, not just military but personal (economic & public exposure):

  • "I would target their interests ... identifying everyone, put out where they live, offer bounties on them." (07:05 – Admiral Harward)

4. Information Flows & Protest Coordination

• For the first time, widespread strikes are happening while Iran’s Internet remains up:
  • "We're attacking them and the Internet's up. Do you think the people of Iran can communicate ... and maybe coordinate?" (05:43 – Brian Kilmeade)
  • Admiral Harward notes this could empower protests and foster widespread dissent.

5. Comparisons to Ukraine: The Drone Revolution in Warfare

• The conversation highlights the parallel between Iran’s and Ukraine’s rapid embrace of drone warfare:

  • "How innovative the Ukrainians have been, how their industry has accelerated ... using thousands of drones at tactical and operational level..." (08:36 – Admiral Harward)
  • Ukraine’s success in taking back territory from Russia is attributed largely to these innovations.
  • Raises the question of evolving away from traditional platforms in favor of drones and massed missile strikes:
    "Would you rather have a bunch of F35s right now, or would you rather have 3,000 Tomahawks and 5,000 drones to target all of Iran simultaneously?" (09:29 – Admiral Harward)

• On Ukraine licensing its own missile defense production, Harward is optimistic:

  • "If we leverage all the technical capability of Ukraine ... they'll be just as innovative and maybe improve the models we have now." (10:25 – Admiral Harward)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Drones now have the ability to target aircrafts. We've never seen that."
  (01:18 – Admiral Harward)

• "Let's go after the guys who are in charge, not only kinetically, but ... with the Internet, identifying everyone, put out where they live, offer bounties on them."
  (07:05 – Admiral Harward)

• "Those 75 million Iranians who want this regime, they're on their roofs cheering for every strike and hit they see. And that's what I'm hearing from my friends in Iran."
  (11:28 – Admiral Harward)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:36 – Incident overview: U.S. Apache helicopter downed, U.S. response described.
• 01:18 – Admiral Harward details the significance of drone-to-helicopter attack; call for robust response.
• 03:18 – Iran’s protests, internal instability, and U.S. strategic leverage discussed.
• 04:38 – Target selection debate: radar vs. water infrastructure and their broader implications.
• 05:43 – Internet access during strikes and its impact on civil coordination.
• 07:05 – Debate over targeting IRGC leadership personally and digitally.
• 08:36 – Ukraine’s success with drone warfare compared to U.S. and Iranian contexts.
• 10:25 – Support for Ukraine’s independent missile defense industry.
• 11:28 – Perspective from inside Iran about public support for regime change.

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Tone and Language

The conversation is direct, strategic, and informed by military expertise. Admiral Harward brings urgency and depth, balancing hard assessments with hope for Iran’s future. Brian Kilmeade frames the discussion with pointed questions and real-time context.

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Transcript

[Brian Kilmeade]

What did you steal?

[Admiral Robert Harward]

Secrets.

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[Admiral Robert Harward]

Are they human?

[Brian Kilmeade]

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[Admiral Robert Harward]

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[Brian Kilmeade]

Admiral Robert Horwood knows the region and knows our military. Admiral, welcome back.

[Admiral Robert Harward]

Hey, Brian. Good to be with you.

[Brian Kilmeade]

Admiral. A lot has changed in 24 hours and I talked to you on Fox and Friends and it looks like the President is hit back. The Apache almost was taken out. The Apache was. The pilots were almost killed for some reason. It looks like the drone did not go off, but it was putting the. Putting the chopper on fire, so they ditched it. And they said they treaded water for an hour before a. Get this. And on, you know, a. On surface drone picked them up almost like a Waymo on the water. So it picked them up and brought them back. But the President's ticked off and he hit him in five separate places, four separate waves. And then the Iranians just responded and the President's going after him again. What could you tell us and what would you like to see happen?

[Admiral Robert Harward]

Well, first off, let's talk about the two events today that I think are important. And you said it. A drone hit this helicopter. We've never seen that before. We've seen drones hitting land targets that are fixed. That's common. But how could a drone intercept an aircraft? So drones now have the ability to target aircrafts. We've never seen that. So that serves a real advancement in drone technology. Just as we saw the boat that recovered the pilots. So it indicates where drones are going and how men in the battlefield in aircraft present a real risk. So that's, that's a key event in this conflict. Number two, as you said, the President striking back again. This is something he's been very patient on. He can decimate Iran if they're not suffering enough already. They're going to suffer even more if he unleashes all the tools in his kit. I think he's demonstrate that. And again, I'm not a fan of negotiations. I don't think they're going to go anywhere. So I'd like him to continue with this campaign targeting the IRGC and partner with our other allies, the Israelis and others who can go after not only the irgc, but their surrogates and all their elements of power. So I think he's on that path. I'm hoping he's going to stay the full course.

[Brian Kilmeade]

What do you think? I mean, I don't know. I know you can make a phone call and find out but right now we might be attacking as we speak multiple locations inside Iran. I know he went to school over the last eight weeks. And as they dig at their launchers, they are now targets, those launchers. And we see what they're adjusting but we understand they're also transporting military equipment back and forth through Pakistan. So they've been trying to arm up again Admiral, who made the most of their cease fire time?

[Admiral Robert Harward]

Well that's to be seen yet. But yes, they were each side prepared for this and I believe we're much better prepared than they are. And the real indicators is you're seeing more and more protests in Iran, more happening Iran. So the pressure on the government in Iran is just overwhelming and the more we strike, the more that's good build. So I don't think Iran's, they've been able reposition some assets, maybe some supplies but I think at the end of the day we have overwhelming force and again we haven't brought the whole force to bear on this thing. So I think at the end of the day the position, the president's in a strong position and I think this gives him the ability to increase pressure on the regime and send signals to the Iranian people that we're committed to an end state without a government that's going to threaten its regions and the other countries in the regions and us.

[Brian Kilmeade]

So it looks like the Iranians are claiming we hit their water facility, but we said we hit their radar, we've hit radar, different areas of their radar, we want to begin to blind them. Radar facilities. The Iranians said that we hit two water reservoirs so we'll see what happens. Cuz they're already running out of water.

[Admiral Robert Harward]

Well you're exactly right. Both of those are critical targets and the President can go down both those lines, continue hitting all the military targets, but also hit all the targets that continue to strangulate the people that will force them to come to the streets. So those are both components. I don't know which strategy they're doing. And you can't believe anything the Iranians have said. That's been standard for many years. So in both of those cases, if you hit water reservoirs, if you hit lines, roads, that further isolate and make it difficult for the people, Iran, much less the regime, to take pay their forces, feed their people, that's going to force this thing to turn internally, which is really the end state. We'd all like to see if internal change is driven by the Iranian people because they can't survive with this regime. That's just as satisfactory and less impact to the other Gulf nations, much less our forces in the region. So I think both of those are sound strategies.

[Brian Kilmeade]

Admiral. The difference right now is we're attacking them and the Internet's up. So do you think the people of Iran can communicate with each other and maybe coordinate. You mentioned protests over the weekend. I did see some stuff on X. How prevalent were they?

[Admiral Robert Harward]

I don't have the details. I've seen a lot I'm hearing from my Iranian friends in the country, are very anxious to see this played out on their behalf. So, again, I think these are indicators of how bad it is in Iran and the real opportunity to drive enduring change in the country and get rid of these guys who have been murdering their people, but more importantly, failing them as a country. While you've got Hezbollah, Hamas, ready to go to arms, all the money that took that was not directed at building the countries, putting in adequate water systems, putting in energy sources, and if we continue to attrit that, that will only accelerate that threat internally to the government. So, again, I support both of those strategies to be applied simultaneously.

[Brian Kilmeade]

So what else would you hit if they said we got to come up with targets? Because I guess a good day is 400 targets a day. What felt undone for you eight weeks ago?

[Admiral Robert Harward]

The personal. The IRGC. I would identify every one of them. Leadership down to the most tactical level. I would target their interests. So you have the military, you have the infrastructure. But let's go after the guys who are in charge, not only kinetically, but as you said, with the Internet, identifying everyone, put out where they live, offer bounties on them. Let's just crank up the pressure on the guys who have been murdering their countries and holding this country hostage for 47 years. So target them and go after them.

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[Brian Kilmeade]

So the other thing I want to get you, because I never really talked to you about this, is Ukraine. I was really struck by. I was really struck by how much progress has been made through drone technology and their willingness to fight. And the Russians seem unprepared. Kiev has Picked has grabbed back 230 square miles so far this year. So this was the year that people thought Kyiv would fall. Instead, it's Moscow that's getting hit by Ukrainian rockets that they're making themselves St. Petersburg and other areas. This is a remarkable turn of events, isn't it?

[Admiral Robert Harward]

Right. It's again, another indicator of how innovative the Ukrainians have been, how their industry has accelerated their pace in developing and using drones. Look, we have these $20 billion aircraft carriers with F35 that can strike, but they're using thousands of drone masses of drone at tactical and operational level to hold off Russia. And Ukraine has basically no air power, so they're able to fend off one of the great superpowers because of these tactical, kinetic and mass use of drones and now expanding that into their operational, which is farther reach, more strategic targets throughout. So it really indicates to you how powerful drone warfare is going to be. And hopefully not just to win wars, but hopefully to deter wars. Then we're no different. Would you rather have a bunch of F35s right now, or would you rather have 3,000 Tomahawks and 5,000 drones to target all of Iran simultaneously? So it just shows this warfare is changing. And both Ukraine and Iran have demonstrated to. The question is, how quickly can we evolve to match those capacities and capabilities with our defense industry.

[Brian Kilmeade]

Admiral Robert Harwood's with us now. He grew up in Iran, really has a sense of what's going on there. Would you give Ukraine the license to build their own Patriots? Because that's what they need. We only have so many. And they said if you give us a license, we could build them on our own. Would you do that?

[Admiral Robert Harward]

Well, again, I would support that. And I think they may be able, as they did with their drones, to do it cheaper and faster than we have. So that's another aspect of this. If we leverage all the technical capability of Ukraine and others with these weapons system, they'll be just as innovative and maybe improve the models we have now. So with our partners, where we support each other's defense industries, we build technology that's better, quicker. We all benefit from that.

[Brian Kilmeade]

Admiral, thanks so much. Truly appreciate it. This is a very fluid time. And I think with the intensity, the bombing indications that I got from people close to the White House is going to happen throughout the day today unless something unforeseen happens. And at one point, if we're going to go back, we're going to call 1-800-ISRAEL and go back to co managing this war. And now I would not want to be in Iran today.

[Admiral Robert Harward]

That makes two of us. But I tell you, those 75 million Iranians who want this regime, they're on their roofs cheering for every strike and hit they see. And that's what I'm hearing from my friends in Iran.

[Brian Kilmeade]

Excellent. Who now have the Internet. Vice Admiral Robert Harwood. Thanks so much.