An unarmed MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft crashed on Wednesday into the ocean in the vicinity of the runway at Seychelles International Airport on the island of Mahe, announced Air Forces Africa officials. No injuries were reported, they said. Air Force representatives were working with the Civil Aviation Authority of Seychelles to coordinate the removal of debris, they said. The mishap’s cause is unknown and is currently under investigation. The officials said they would release more information as it becomes available. The United States has been operating unarmed Reapers from the Seychelles for several years to counter pirates operating in and around the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean. Last December, another Reaper crashed at the same airport.
A few weeks after the Air Force announced its prestigious William Tell Air-to-Air Weapons Meet would return in March, the service has decided to postpone the event to later this year, according to Air Combat Command.
