Sunday, August 17, 2025

MQ - 9A REAPER DRONE , T/N 13-4225,

The Reaper was lost in the Mediterranean and unable to be recovered, so investigators could not analyze the hardware to conclude definitively what went wrong. . .

COST DISCREPANCY: The sophisticated drones, built by General Atomics, cost about $30 million each, and generally fly at altitudes of more than 40,000 feet.

Air Warfare

Broken propeller caused $13M military Reaper drone to crash into sea

An MQ-9 Reaper drone crashed into the Mediterranean Sea last December after losing its propeller mid-flight, likely due to the failure of a ring necessary to secure the prop in place. (SrA Raya Feltner/Air Force)

By Stephen Losey

The MQ-9, which belonged to the 432nd Wing at Creech Air Force Base in Nevada, likely suffered a mid-flight failure of a critical ring that kept the propeller functional, which led to the Dec. 16 crash.

The Reaper, which was operated remotely by a pilot and sensor operator from the 20th Attack Squadron at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, took off from an unidentified location in the U.S. European Command area of responsibility, according to the accident investigation board report released July 30.

Date:	Monday 16 December 2024
Time:	17:00 UTC
Type:	General Atomics MQ-9A Reaper

Accident investigation:


Investigating agency:	USAF AIB
Report number:
Status:	Investigation completed
Duration:
Download report:	Final report

Business Insider

4 days ago

$13 Million US Military Reaper Drone Crashed After Propeller Fell Off

Air Force Times

Air Force investigation finds Reaper crashed after signal lost

Boosting Reaper’s Resilience in the Digital Age
The MQ-9A Reaper Drone Gets a Guardian Angel

by SOFREP News Team May 12, 2024

The MQ-9A Reaper Drone Gets a Guardian Angel | SOFREP

The skies over warzones are becoming increasingly congested with electronic threats.

To combat these dangers and ensure the continued effectiveness of its MQ-9A Reaper drone, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) recently announced a strategic partnership with Shift5.

This collaboration injects the Reaper with a potent dose of cybersecurity and advanced maintenance capabilities, directly benefiting the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) and Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC).