An MQ-9 Reaper drone belonging to the U.S. Air Force crashed off the coast of South Korea on Nov. 24, according to a statement from the 8th Fighter Wing and local media reports.
The Yonhap news agency and Chosun Daily newspaper reported that the MQ-9 crashed into the waters of the Yellow Sea. In a statement, the wing said the drone “was involved in an incident while performing a routine mission.”
“No injuries or damage to public property are reported in relation to this incident and it is currently under investigation,” the statement added.
The crash occurred off the coast of an island called Maldo-Ri, a tiny spit of land less than two miles long just 15 miles away from Kunsan.
The MQ-9 was assigned to the 431st Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron. The unit activated at Kunsan in late September, permanently deploying Reapers on the Korean peninsula after years of rotational deployments.
“MQ-9 operations will support U.S.-Korean priorities in intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance across the lndo-Pacific theater enhancing the joint capability to respond to threats and emerging situations while strengthening our alliance,” the 8th Fighter Wing said at the time.
Earlier this month, the MQ-9s were busy flying during the exercise Freedom Flag 25-2, which concluded Nov. 7.
From Kunsan, Reapers can reach deep into both North Korea and China with its 1,000-nautical mile range. The drones are also keeping Kunsan busy as the 8th Fighter Wing moves more of its F-16s to Osan Air Base further north as part of a “Super Squadron” experiment consolidating U.S. fighters in Korea.
The most recent detailed Air Force safety data, from fiscal 2021, indicated an average of 4.9 “Class A” mishaps over the previous 10 years. Class A mishaps result in either the destruction of an aircraft, a fatality or permanent disability, or at least $2.5 million in damages.
Across the entire unmanned fleet—of which MQ-9s comprise the vast majority—the Air Force averaged six Class A mishaps per year from 2022-2024, according to less detailed data.
