The United States had to launch an MQ-9 harvester drone into the Pontic Sea on Tuesday after a Russian fighter jet crashed into it, causing it to lose control. The US military has blamed Moscow for the incident, but Russia denies its involvement and attributes the accident to drone flight problems.
These events raised several questions, including that the drone had not responded to challenges that the United States says were made by Russian pilots.
The MQ-9 Reaper is combat-capable, but is designed for extended surveillance duty. Pentagon spokesman General Patrick Ryder on Tuesday declined to answer whether the drone was armed at the time of the incident. The plan is to use the AIM-9X air to air missiles for combat situations.
According to the military media, the US State Department is examining whether the images of the event are leaking, which would be the main evidence to decide if Russia is right when it confirms that its planes do not threaten maneuvers against the Reaper.
One of the first with the ability to fight
The MQ-9 Reaper, also called the Predator B, an airplane, can reach a maximum speed of 480 kilometers per hour, 11 meters and weighs about 2,200 kilograms, according to the United States Air Force website.
It was designed by the General Atomics Group and became operational in 2007, becoming one of the first drones that are capable of combat and that can also carry out surveillance tasks for a long time and at high altitude.
This model, which has been upgraded several times, now has the ability to fly for 30 hours when performing surveillance duties, although that time is reduced to 23 hours when loaded with weapons, which increases fuel consumption.
The MQ-9 Reaper is designed to carry eight AGM-114 Air to ground missiles, tanks, airplanes and helicopters to destroy, the US Air Force says.
Depending on the mission it carries out, the drone can also insert a synthetic aperture radar, which is extremely accurate, and different types of cameras to record videos: from monochrome daytime color cameras to short-wave infrared cameras.
In addition to the incident at Pontus Euxine, the MQ-9 reaper gained fame in the last months of the war in Ukraine. In particular, the General Atomics Corporation wanted to show solidarity with Ukraine and offered these drones for just one dollar, despite the fact that their manufacture cost more than 56 million dollars, as reported in February by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ).
