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.
The $4.26 billion Small Business Innovation Research contracting program widely used by the Air Force went into hibernation as the government shut down Oct. 1, but unless lawmakers strike a deal on reforms, the program could reach an abrupt end.
