Source: CNN
A US Air Force drone, part of a squadron permanently assigned to South Korea amid simmering military tensions in the region, crashed early Monday off the country’s west coast, according to military and media reports.
The MQ-9 Reaper drone, assigned to Kunsan Air Base, “was involved in an incident while performing a routine mission” near Maldo-Ri Island, a statement from the Air Force’s 8th Fighter Wing said.
Numerous local media reports said the aircraft had crashed.
The drone was assigned to the 431st Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron at Kunsan, a unit just activated in September as Washington tries to bolster its forward presence in the Western Pacific.
The Chinese mainland is only about 250 miles from Kunsan, and the Bohai Sea –– where the Chinese navy often holds exercises –– is about 600 miles from Kunsan Air Base.
The Reapers are unmanned single-engine turboprops that can perform a variety of combat and other missions, according to an Air Force fact sheet.
With an extended range of more than 1,600 miles (2,575 kilometers) and the ability to stay airborne indefinitely with aerial refueling, the Reapers are expected to provide a substantial boost to US forces in the region.
The range of the Reapers covers not only North Korea –– the demilitarized zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea is about 150 miles north of Kunsan –– but also the East China Sea and Taiwan, about 800 miles away.
“MQ-9 operations will support US-Korean priorities in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance across the Indo-Pacific theater,” an Air Force statement said in September.
The Air Force said there were no injuries or damage to property in Monday’s incident, which occurred around 4:35 a.m. local time.
US drone operations have a checkered safety and reliability history.
A 2022 report from the Congressional Research Service said MQ-9 drones suffered 15% more “Class A mishaps” –– accidents resulting in more than $2.5 million in damage –– compared with manned military aircraft.
The average unit cost of a Reaper was $28 million in 2022 dollars, according to the same report.
The cause of Monday’s incident is under investigation, the Air Force said.
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