When a Russian fighter jet collided with a large US surveillance drone over the Black Sea on Tuesday, it was a rare but serious incident that triggered a US diplomatic protest and raised concerns that Russia could recover sensitive technology.
US and Russian officials had conflicting accounts of the collision between the MQ-9 Reaper drone and the Russian Su-27 fighter jet, each blaming the other. But a Pentagon spokesman raised the possibility that the Defense Department could eventually declassify and release the video it has of the collision.
Defense officials said the drone has not been recovered. But the Pentagon declined to say if any efforts were being made to collect debris or parts from the Reaper.
This is what is known, and what is not known, about the accident.
WHAT THE UNITED STATES SAYS HAPPENED
The Pentagon and the US European Command said two Russian Su-27 jets dropped fuel on the MQ-9, which was conducting a routine surveillance mission over the Black Sea in international airspace. They said that the Russian planes flew around and in front of the drone several times for 30 to 40 minutes, and then one of the Russian planes “struck the propeller of the MQ-9, causing US forces to shoot down the MQ-9.” . in international waters.”
Air Force General James Hecker, commander of the US Air Forces in Europe and Africa, said the actions of the Russian plane “nearly caused both planes to crash.” Pentagon spokesman Brig. General Pat Ryder said the collision probably also damaged the Russian fighter jet, but the Su-27 was able to land. He did not say where it landed.
The Pentagon said the drone was “far removed” from any Ukrainian territory, but did not provide details. A US defense official said it was operating west of Crimea on the Black Sea. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details of the mission.
It is not clear if the collision was accidental or intentional, but both sides agree that the Russian plane was trying to intercept the drone.
WHAT RUSSIA SAYS HAPPENED
The Russian Defense Ministry said the US drone was flying close to the Russian border and entered an area that Russian authorities declared off-limits. He said the Russian military sent fighters to intercept the US drone. It stated that “as a result of a sudden maneuver, the American drone entered into an uncontrollable flight with loss of altitude and collided with the surface of the water.”
Russia has declared large areas near Crimea off-limits to flights. Since the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and long before Russia invaded Ukraine last year, Moscow has denounced US surveillance planes flying too close to its borders, ignoring Russian warnings.
Nations routinely operate in international airspace and waters, and no country can claim limits on territory outside its own border.
The ministry said Russian planes rushed to intercept the drone, but did not use their weapons and “did not come into contact” with it.
WHAT IS AN MQ-9 REAPER?
The MQ-9 Reaper is a large Air Force drone that is operated remotely by a two-person team. It includes a ground control station and satellite equipment and has a wingspan of 66 feet (20 meters). The team includes a qualified pilot who is responsible for flying the aircraft and an enlisted aircrew member who is in charge of operating the sensors and guiding the weapons.
Routinely used during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan for surveillance and air strikes, the Reaper can be armed or unarmed. It can carry up to eight laser-guided missiles, including Hellfire missiles and other sophisticated munitions, and can hover over targets for around 24 hours. It is about 36 feet long, 12 feet tall, and weighs about 4,900 pounds (11 meters long, 4 meters high, and 2,200 kilograms). It can fly at an altitude of up to 50,000 feet (15 kilometers) and has a range of about 1,400 nautical miles (2,500 kilometers).
The Reaper, which first began operating in 2007, replaced the Air Force’s smaller Predator drones. Each Reaper costs around $32 million.
DIPLOMATIC POWDER
The collision triggered a diplomatic protest.
The US State Department summoned Russian Ambassador Anatoly Antonov for a meeting on Tuesday with Karen Donfried, Under Secretary of State for Europe.
“We are communicating directly with the Russians, again at higher levels, to convey our strong objections to this unprofessional and unsafe interception, which led to the downing of the US drone,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said.
And White House Homeland Security spokesman John Kirby said the United States “will express our concern about this unprofessional and unsafe interception.”
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had not spoken to his Russian counterpart about the incident, Ryder said.
HAS IT HAPPENED BEFORE?
This is not the first time that a Russian plane has flown so close to a US plane in the Black Sea that it has led the Pentagon to publicly condemn the incident as putting crews at risk. In 2020, Russian planes crossed in front of a B-52 bomber flying over the Black Sea and flew as close as 100 feet (30 meters) in front of the bomber’s nose, causing turbulence.
Russian planes have also flown over US warships during exercises in the Black Sea. In 2021, Russian warplanes flew over the USS Donald Cook, a Navy destroyer, which had been taking part in a major exercise. Until Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year, US warships were most frequently deployed in the Black Sea in response to Russia’s attack on Crimea in 2014.
However, for the most part, military interceptions, whether in the air or at sea, are routine and have occurred several times with Russian aircraft in the Pacific, particularly in the north. Last month, US warplanes intercepted two Russian TU-95 bombers in international airspace off the coast of Alaska and “escorted” them for 12 minutes, according to the Pentagon.
And Russian planes have carried out similar missions, and also buzzed US Navy ships in the Pacific. In most cases, interceptions are considered safe and professional.
It is not clear if the Russian pilots were willing to approach the Reaper or fuel it because they knew it was unmanned and therefore there was no risk to an American pilot or crew. The deliberate shooting down of a manned aircraft, injuring or killing crew members, could be considered an act of war.
