MQ-4C Triton surveillance drone: These drones are used in the Middle East. Source: Copyright: xMichaelFitzsimmonsx /imago-images-bilder
In the war against Iran, the US military lost one of its most valuable drones. Only 20 copies exist worldwide – each one costs around 200 million euros.
April 15, 2026, 1:18 p.mApril 15, 2026, 1:18 p.m
Finn Michalski / t-online
In the war against Iran, the USA deployed a broad contingent of the most modern military technology. After initial speculation, US Central Command in the region has now confirmed that an MQ-4C Triton surveillance drone crashed in early April. As of last year, the US Navy only has 20 of this type. The production costs for a single drone are around 200 million euros. The crash is officially recorded as an accident. The exact background to what happened remains unclear.
As the specialist portal “The War Zone” reports, online tracking data recorded a massive loss in altitude of the drone from around 15,000 meters to 3,000 meters shortly before the crash on April 9th. At that time, the aircraft was said to be on a reconnaissance flight over the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz on its way back to Naval Air Base Sigonella in Italy. According to the report, just before the signal was lost, the drone transmitted code 7700, a common air traffic emergency message. The exact location of the crash remains unknown.
Iran could try to recover the drone
There is further speculation as to whether the US Army is making efforts to track down and possibly recover the drone. “The War Zone” points out that it would pose a significant risk if enemy actors recovered the drone relatively undamaged, as sensitive technical and intelligence-related data could fall into the wrong hands.
Yesterday, Tuesday, a Triton reconnaissance drone was located in the region for the first time after the crash. The drone system has been continually optimized and developed in recent years in collaboration between the US Navy and the arms manufacturer Northrop Grumman. It is an unmanned drone.
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