NYT: US Military Shocked By Russian Pilots' Behavior In Collision With MQ-9 Drone
- 15.03.2023, 8:13
The drone had no weapons.
It has become known that Russia shot down a US MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Black Sea. In due course, the United States media revealed details of the incident. In particular, they noted that the drone did not carry weapons and was eliminated 120 kilometres away from Crimea.
This was reported by The New York Times.
As the Charter97.org website said, the collision between the Russian Su-27 and the MQ-9 Reaper over the Black Sea waters was reported in the evening of March 14. Soon The New York Times revealed some details of what happened, citing its own sources in the Pentagon - i.e. the US Department of Defense.
It is significant that the incident took place 120 kilometres from temporarily occupied Crimea, while the UAV was conducting surveillance. According to an anonymous US defence official, the US drone flew out of a military base in Romania in the early hours of March 14 to perform a routine mission, which usually lasts nine to 10 hours.
When the MQ-9 Reaper collided with a Russian Su-27, the drone was not carrying weapons. Although, it must be said that the design of the drone suggests that it was fitted with Hellfire missiles.
"The episode stunned the US military, who were watching it via video link with the drone at the operations centre at the Ramstein airbase in Germany," the piece said as well.
Besides, as journalists write, US officials are concerned that this little incident over the Black Sea may lead to a direct confrontation between Russia and the US. In fact, this is why the US military in Germany were stunned by what happened.
At the time of the collision, the US drone was at an altitude of about 7.6 kilometres. At the same moment, a Russian Su-27 fighter jet was flying around the UAV, dumping fuel on it. It probably did so in order to ruin the drone's equipment.
The New York Times source also noted that the drone is equipped with sophisticated cameras and other sensors. They allow for a "look into Crimea" without actually flying close to the peninsula.
On What Ukraine's Air Force And Washington Said
Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ignat has commented on the shooting down of an American MQ-9 Reaper by a Su-27. According to him, the incident is a consequence of the actions of the terrorist state calling itself Russia.
As the speaker stated, quite a few NATO countries, say Turkey, have access to the Black Sea. Any kind of vehicle is allowed to fly over the water area, in particular reconnaissance vehicles. There is nothing surprising in it.
At the same time, the White House said the shooting down of the US MQ-9 Reaper over the Black Sea was "dangerous and unprofessional". They also called for attention to such incidents, as they are very revealing.