US Confirms Loss of Drone Worth Rp4 Trillion While Flying to Iran

JAKARTA - The United States military authorities confirmed the loss of one of their reconnaissance drones near the Strait of Hormuz, but there was no evidence of a fall in Iranian territory and no personnel losses.

The US Naval Safety Command confirmed the loss of the MQ-4C Triton surveillance drone on April 9, classifying it as a Class A accident, which means a loss of more than 2 million US dollars (Rp34.262.000.000), no injuries to personnel, quoted from Anadolu (16/4).

The location of the incident was kept secret for operational security reasons, but the drone was last tracked flying in international airspace towards Iran.

There is no evidence that the drone fell in Iranian territory.

The high-altitude drone, which is worth around $238 million (Rp4,076,690,100,000), was on a maritime surveillance mission over the Persian Gulf near the Strait of Hormuz when it suddenly disappeared from an online flight tracking site, according to The War Zone.

Launched from the Sigonella Naval Air Station in Italy, the Northrop Grumman-made plane is capable of flying for more than 24 hours at altitudes of up to 50,000 feet.

Meanwhile, the United States Navy has not released the cause or details of the debris.

The loss comes amid a US-Israeli offensive against Iran, in which the US has faced a series of aircraft setbacks, including fighter jets and drones since February 28.