USD238M U.S. Surveillance Drone Vanishes Near Iran in Gulf

(MENAFN) The US Naval Safety Command has officially confirmed the loss of an MQ-4C Triton surveillance drone on April 9, designating the incident a Class A mishap — a classification reserved for damages surpassing $2 million. No personnel were harmed.

Authorities declined to disclose the precise location of the incident, citing operational security concerns. However, the aircraft was last detected over international airspace on a trajectory toward Iran, with no indication it came down on Iranian soil.

The high-altitude unmanned aircraft, valued at approximately $238 million, had been executing a maritime surveillance mission over the Persian Gulf near the Strait of Hormuz when it abruptly disappeared from online flight-tracking platforms, according to The War Zone, a defense publication. Built by Northrop Grumman and launched from Naval Air Station Sigonella in Italy, the drone is engineered for endurance flights exceeding 24 hours at altitudes of up to 50,000 feet.

The Navy has yet to release a cause of the loss or any information regarding the whereabouts of the wreckage.

The incident adds to a mounting string of aviation setbacks sustained by US forces since Feb. 28, when joint US-Israeli offensive operations against Iran commenced — a campaign during which the military has reported the loss of multiple fighter jets and unmanned aerial systems.

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