US says Russian plane hit US drone in Black Sea, Washington says ‘reckless’ act

A Russian Su-27 fighter plane struck an American Reaper drone on Tuesday March 14 over the Black Sea, an area closely monitored by NATO since the start of the war in Ukraine, announced the American army. . “Our MQ-9 drone was performing routine operations in international airspace when it was intercepted and rammed by a Russian aircraft, resulting in the crash and loss of the MQ-9said General James Hecker, commander of the American armed forces in Europe and Africa. In fact, this dangerous and unprofessional act by the Russians nearly caused the two planes to crash.”

The White House reacted around 6 p.m. French time on Tuesday evening. John Kirby, spokesman for the US Executive’s National Security Council, noted that there had been interceptions of US drones by Russian aircraft in the past, but added that this incident was “thoughtless” And “unique”not least because it resulted in the loss of the Reaper drone.

It is a “MALE” drone (medium altitude long endurance) equipped with on-board sensors: an optronic ball equipped with electro-optical and infrared cameras, as well as a radar. The device, with a wingspan of 20 meters, has a range of 2,500 kilometers and lifts five tons on takeoff. It is capable of flying for 24 hours in operational conditions.