A US Navy drone that was monitoring the Strait of Hormuz may has “gone down” in the Persian Gulf, according to open-source flight tracking data. The aircraft was emitted a 7700 squawk, the standard code for a general emergency, before going down north of Bahrain, media reports said.
The aircraft, serial 169804, was flying at a high altitude before the sudden descent. The US military has not confirmed the report till the time of writing.
Data indicates the US Navy MQ-4C Triton long-range electronic reconnaissance drone dropped from around 52,000 feet to roughly 12,750 feet within minutes.
The UAV was reportedly launched from Sigonella Air Base in Italy, and it flew over Saudi Arabia before entering the Persian Gulf. The drone was reportedly operating in international waters of the Strait of Hormuz while moving between the Persian and Oman Gulfs.
The mission lasted approximately two hours at an altitude of around 14 kilometres. The MQ-4C Triton is a high-altitude, long-endurance reconnaissance drone capable of providing real-time intelligence over large oceanic and coastal areas.
The incident was first made public by UK Defence Journal senior editor Jon, who monitors military aviation activity using open-source tracking tools.
About MQ-4C Triton drone
A high-altitude, the MQ-4C Triton is long-endurance maritime surveillance drone derived from the RQ-4 Global Hawk family. As per reports, it is designed to provide persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance over wide maritime areas and routinely operates alongside P-8A Poseidon aircraft.
It is extensively deployed across the US Central Command area of responsibility, including the Gulf region.
It can remain airborne for over 30 hours, reach speeds up to 610 km/h, and attain altitudes of up to 17,000 meters.