Incident over the Black Sea: after «acquaintance» with a Russian fighter, a US drone crashed

CrimeaPRESS reports:

«He disappeared, having spent fuel, he was all broken into pieces» …

The interception by Russian Su-27 fighters of an American reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) MQ-9 led to its crash in the international waters of the Black Sea. This statement was made on Tuesday by the European Command of the US Armed Forces.

At approximately 7:03 am (9:03 am Moscow time), one of two Russian Su-27 aircraft hit the propeller of our MQ-9 aircraft, which led to its crash in the international waters of the Black Seathe US military said in a statement.

They noted that the UAV allegedly performed «routine operations in international airspace.» As a result of the incident, he was «completely lost,» the representatives of the US Armed Forces specified.

According to TASS, the Pentagon has already informed US President Joe Biden about the incident. Washington intends to express its concern to Moscow through diplomatic channels in connection with this incident. According to White House strategic communications coordinator John Kirby, the United States will continue flying over the Black Sea despite the air incident. However, he did not talk about whether Moscow wanted to send a message to Washington by its actions.

And the hint is … transparent. American soldiers understood this immediately. United States European Command (EUCOM) directly claimsA: It was a collision. Prior to this, a pair of Su-27s allegedly made «unsafe» maneuvers near an American reconnaissance drone, «routinely» spying on the Crimea and the Black Sea Fleet.

Well, the information necessary for understanding about what kind of «beast» collapsed from a height into the abyss of the Black Sea. MQ-9 Reaper is a modular reconnaissance and strike UAV. Since 2007 — in service with the Air Force and the US Navy. Based on the MQ-1 Predator drone, sometimes referred to as the Predator B. Equipped with a turboprop engine that can reach speeds of over 400 km/h. The practical ceiling is 13,000 m. Length: 11 meters, wingspan — 20 meters. Load capacity 1700 kg. The maximum flight duration of the MQ-9 Reaper UAV is 24 hours. The cost of a tactical unit is approximately US$16 million to US$30 million depending on the configuration. According to various sources, the US is armed with 63 to 74 MQ-9s (now one less). It is used not only for reconnaissance, but also for delivering «point» strikes. Attack UAVs have shown high efficiency in Afghanistan and Iraq. The main advantages over the same F-16s: lower cost of purchase and operation, longer flight duration, safety of operators, the possibility of their shift work during long flights. These drones are also patrolling the border with Mexico.