Washington:During the war with Iran in West Asia, the US is said to have lost several fighter jets, including two F-35s worth millions of dollars. However, one of the most expensive losses to its military was a MQ-4C Triton surveillance drone. It is one of the most expensive unmanned aircraft in the US Navy's arsenal.
The MQ-4C Triton is one of the most expensive unmanned platforms in the US military, costing more than $200 million per unit. It costs about twice as much as two Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets.
The United States Naval Safety Command says that the drone crashed on April 9 and no one was hurt. A summary of the accident said that the unmanned aircraft, which could fly at high altitudes for long periods of time, crashed in the Persian Gulf. However, for operational security reasons, the exact location was not given.
The event has been labeled a "Class A" accident, which means that damage was more than $2.5 million or an airplane was destroyed. CBS News in the US said that the plane in this case was worth between $240 and $250 million.
When did the MQ-4C drone go missing?The MQ-4C drone went missing over the Strait of Hormuz on April 9 after declaring an emergency in the air. This made people wonder if it crashed or was shot down.
The plane was on a mission over the Persian Gulf when it suddenly dropped and stopped being tracked by flight tracking systems.
Flightradar24 data showed that the drone sent out a code 7700 general emergency signal before making a small turn toward Iran and quickly dropping. Then it completely vanished from tracking screens.
About the MQ-4C TritonThe MQ-4C Triton is one of the US Navy's most advanced unmanned surveillance platforms. It is made for long missions and wide area maritime reconnaissance.
It can fly at altitudes above 50,000 feet for more than 24 hours at a time and has a range of about 7,400 nautical miles. This lets it keep an eye on huge parts of the ocean without having to refuel.
Northrop Grumman, the company that makes the drone, says it has a 360-degree multi-intelligence sensor suite that lets it cover a wide area and quickly find threats.
It can send real-time data to other military assets, which helps with coordinated operations across multiple domains. The system has up to four times the intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance coverage of other autonomous platforms, and it can stay at a high altitude for a long time.
The Triton is an autonomous platform that can fly at high altitudes for long periods of time. It often flies alongside manned P-8A Poseidon patrol aircraft that are flying at lower altitudes below it.
By 2025, the US Navy had 20 Triton drones and planned to buy 7 more.