Over the Black Sea today, two Russian Su-27 fighters attempted to intercept a US Air Force MQ-9 drone that was performing reconnaissance in international airspace, according to the US military.
In the morning, one of the Su-27s hit an MQ-9 Reaper drone, causing the drone to be shot down. Prior to the collision, Russian fighter jets flew in front of the UAV “in a reckless manner.”
“Our MQ-9 drone was performing normal operations in international airspace when it was intercepted and shot down by a Russian aircraft, which led to an accident and the complete loss of the MQ-9. In fact, this unsafe and unprofessional act of the Russians almost led to the crash of both aircraft ships,” said Air Force General James Hecker, commander of the US Air Force in Europe and Africa.
He also stressed that US and allied aircraft will continue to conduct operations in international airspace despite such an incident.
The American command added that such aggressive actions by the Russians are dangerous and can lead to miscalculations and unintentional escalation.
It is worth noting that the MQ-9 Reaper is a combat drone. But it can also be used for reconnaissance.
The drone has six suspension points. It can carry up to four air-to-ground missiles, or up to eight in the MQ-9A modification, or four Hellfire missiles and two Mark 82 laser-guided bombs.
