US's Rs 1,800 crore drone goes missing during secret mission in Hormuz
The MQ-4C Triton, the US's most expensive surveillance drone, went missing over the Strait of Hormuz, which remains largely blocked by Iran despite a ceasefire agreement.
The US is likely to have lost its most expensive surveillance drone, the MQ-4C Triton, during a secret mission over the Strait of Hormuz, which remains largely blocked by Iran despite a two-week ceasefire agreement with the US. According to open-source flight monitoring accounts, the MQ-4C Triton, which costs a whopping $200 million (Rs 1,856 crore), vanished from tracking systems after declaring an emergency. It is not known if the drone crashed or was shot down by Iran.
If confirmed, it would be the first known loss of an MQ-4C Triton, which was inducted in 2018, in combat. It will only add to the US's air asset losses in the Iran conflict. Apart from an F-15E and an A-10 Warthog aircraft, which were downed on April 3, several US aircraft were hit by Iran. Three F-15E Strike Eagles were also downed in friendly fire over Kuwait in March. The US also lost 17 MQ-9 Reaper drones, making it an expensive military campaign for the US.
US SURVEILLANCE AIRCRAFT SHOT DOWN?
The loss of the MQ-4C Triton will only add to Trump's war bill. Flight tracking data showed the drone, which was returning to its base in Italy's Sigonella (jointly operated with the US) after a three-hour mission, descended rapidly before disappearing. Data shows it fell from 50,000 feet to below 10,000 feet within seconds.
Tracking data shows that the MQ-4C Triton, one of the most advanced and expensive unmanned surveillance aircraft, crossed into Saudi Arabian airspace before making a sudden turn towards Iran. Before vanishing from radar, the drone broadcast the code 7700 - an in-flight emergency signal. However, it does not offer any indication of what the "emergency" might be.
It is also not clear what the surveillance aircraft was doing over Hormuz, the vital energy chokepoint through which 20% of the world's oil and gas passes. Since the war began, Iran has blocked the waterway at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, halting crucial oil supplies and thereby holding the global economy hostage.
Iran was supposed to reopen Hormuz after a ceasefire deal was reached with the US on April 8. However, only a handful of ships have crossed the corridor in 48 hours, with Iran still maintaining a chokehold, citing Israel's strikes in Lebanon.
Over the past month, the drone has been deployed by the US Navy for monitoring activity in and around the Persian Gulf.
A day before the ceasefire deal, on April 7, the drone was seen circling over Kharg Island, Iran's critical oil hub. It was around the time that speculation was rife of a US ground invasion or punitive strikes on energy facilities in Kharg.
Last week, the MQ-4C Triton took part in a combat search and rescue (CSAR) mission after Iran shot down an F-15E Strike Eagle. However, both the pilot and the weapons-system officer (WSO) had ejected. They were eventually rescued in a mega US operation deep inside Iran.
It must be remembered that the MQ-4C Triton is not just any UAV. Developed by Northrop Grumman, the drone is built for maritime intelligence and surveillance for longer stretches. It can operate for more than 24 hours at a stretch. This makes it ideal for monitoring vast and critical chokepoints such as the Strait of Hormuz.