An American MQ-9 Reaper drone was reportedly shot down by a Russian Su-27 fighter jet over the Black Sea on Tuesday. American authorities in any case confirmed the collision shortly after the first rumors of an “incident” in the region emerged. After being hit by a Russian fighter jet, the drone was deliberately thrown into the waters of the Black Sea by the American army, which kept it at a distance.
“Reckless act”
This “reckless act” on the part of the Russians condemned the press secretary of the White House, John Kirby. He also said that there had already been interceptions of American drones by Russian aircraft in the past, without going into details, but the incident on Tuesday was “unique”because it led to the destruction of the American apparatus.
According to the US Naval Institute, the collision occurred in the airspace over the Ukrainian Odessa. According to FlightRadar24, a P-8A Poseidon maritime reconnaissance aircraft circled off the coast of Romania after taking off from the Italian base of Sigonella.
According to the US authorities’ version of the incident, at least two Russian planes were chasing the Reaper, which they doused with kerosene before one of the two Su-27s deliberately hit it on the propeller. “This is a dangerous and unprofessional act on the part of the Russians,” said General James Hecker, commander of the US Air Force in Europe, urging the Russians to “behave professionally”.
The Russian army admitted that two of its fighter jets intercepted the American drone, but assured that it did not shoot it down or cause it to fall. “After a rough maneuver (…) the MQ-9 drone began an uncontrolled flight with a loss of altitude and hit the surface of the water”stated in the Russian Ministry of Defense, specifying that the two hunters did not shoot and did not have “contact” with a drone.
Spy and armed drone
Drone “Reaper” is a remotely piloted aircraft type MAN (medium height high endurance), equipped with state-of-the-art on-board sensors for conducting surveillance operations at a cruising speed of 335 km/h. With a wingspan of 20 meters, autonomous flight is more than 24 hours. It can also carry several types of weapons: laser or GPS-guided bombs or Hellfire missiles. Several European countries have Reaper drones in their military air fleets, including France.
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This is the first time since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, that a NATO country has acknowledged the loss of equipment in this highly flammable region. The skies over the Black Sea are the scene of very regular clashes between drones and aircraft from NATO countries and the Russian armed forces.
John Kirby confirmed that American planes have been flying regularly in the region for a year now. “We will continue to do so”he also assured “and we don’t need any permission from the Russians before flying in international airspace”.
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Source: TF1