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US Air Force Drone Crashes in Transylvania

Hungary Today 2022.07.15.

An MQ-9 Reaper drone operated by the United States Air Force crashed during a training mission on Thursday afternoon near Aranyosgyéres (Câmpia Turzii), found in the Transylvanian region of Romania.  There were no casualties in the accident.

According to the report on the incident, the drone was remotely operated by the US Air Force as part of a training exercise. The unmanned aircraft was on its way to the Aranyosgyéres air base when it crashed into a cornfield about three kilometers from its destination and caught fire. The accident caused no injuries as the aircraft fell in an uninhabited area.

“[The USAF is] carrying out the initial investigation right now,” Romania’s Defense Minister Vasile Dîncu said, as reported by local media. “We are also in contact with them, we will support them if needed,” he added.

In May 2021, the USAF deployed MQ-9 Reaper aircraft and approximately 90 airmen in support of NATO operations in the region. The drones are tasked with conducting intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions.

Investigation Finds Drone That Flew over Hungary and Crashed in Zagreb Carried Bomb, But No Military Explosives
Investigation Finds Drone That Flew over Hungary and Crashed in Zagreb Carried Bomb, But No Military Explosives

According to explosives expert Ivana Bacic, the explosion of the crashed drone was caused by an explosive device and explosive material, which is not clasified as explosives for military or commercial use.Continue reading

In February 2020, the US drones were presented to the press during an open house.

Adrian Zuckerman, the then US ambassador to Bucharest, said at the event that the Aranyosgyéres Air Base was one of the best airfields in Europe for air force exercises, which is why it received more than $14 million of investments over the past five years.

via MTI; AeroTime

Featured photo: illustration via Twitter/Europhile


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