New Details Of Collision Between Russian Aircraft And U.S. MQ-9 Reaper Drone

The incident over the Black Sea could lead to an escalation.

A Russian fighter jet collided with an American drone over the Black Sea. As a result, the US Air Force had to shoot down its unmanned aerial vehicle, ТСН reported.

This is stated in a statement of the command of the US forces in Europe.

It is noted that the drone MQ-9 Reaper was conducting a routine operation in international airspace, when two Russian aircraft tried to intercept it.

The interception of the drone was dangerous and unprofessional

Two Russian Su-27 aircraft made a "dangerous and unprofessional" drone interception at 7:03 a.m. CET Tuesday, according to the U.S. Army European Command.

One of the Russian planes struck the propeller of the MQ-9, according to the statement, causing U.S. forces to sink their own drone.

"Our MQ-9 aircraft was conducting routine operations in international airspace when it was intercepted and shot down by a Russian aircraft, causing the MQ-9 to crash. This dangerous and unprofessional action by the Russians nearly caused both planes to crash," the Air Force quoted U.S. Air Force Commander General James Hecker as saying.

Hecker stresses that U.S. and allied aircraft will continue to fly in international airspace under international laws. However, he adds that "the aggressive actions of the Russian crew are dangerous and can potentially lead to miscalculation and unintended escalation."

U.S. Will Not Stop Flights Over the Black Sea

The U.S. will not stop flying over the Black Sea after a US Reaper drone collided there with a Russian Su-27 fighter jet. White House spokesman John Kirby stated this during a Tuesday briefing, Mar. 14, CNN reported.

"If they want to deter or discourage us from flying and operating in international airspace over the Black Sea in this way ... they won't get their way, it's not going to happen," he said.

Kirby stresses that the Black Sea does not belong to any country and the United States will continue to do everything necessary to protect its national security interests in this part of the world.

Reference: MQ-9 Reaper is a modular reconnaissance and attack UAV developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (a division of General Dynamics Corporation) for use in the U.S. and British Air and Naval Forces.

It is equipped with a jet-prop engine to accelerate to a speed of over 400 kilometers per hour. The maximum flight altitude is 13,000 meters. Maximum flight time of the MQ-9 Reaper UAV is 24 hours.

The drone is 11 meters long and has a wingspan of 20 meters. It can carry up to four air-to-ground missiles and two aerial bombs.