An MQ-1C Gray Eagle drone, operated by U.S. Africa Command made an emergency landing near Agadez, Niger, on Saturday, a U.S. Africa Command spokesman told Military Times.
“The aircraft experienced a mechanical malfunction while conducting a routine mission in support of operations in the region,” Air Force Col. Christopher Karns told Military Times.
An investigation into the cause of the malfunction will take place, he said.
RELATED
Without providing details, the Pentagon said in a short statement that “a majority” of U.S. troops and assets in Somalia will be withdrawn in early 2021.
“The aircraft is under observation by U.S. forces with host nation cooperation and assistance,” Karns said. “Assessment and the process of recovery of the aircraft and safeguarding the site is underway. Due to force protection and operational considerations this is about all I can say. Early indications reflect a mechanical issue but an investigation is underway.”
Karns told Military Times the drone is an MQ-1C Gray Eagle, a multipurpose drone that “provides reconnaissance, surveillance, target acquisition, command and control, communications relay, signals intelligence, electronic warfare, attack, battle damage assessment, and manned-unmanned teaming capabilities,” according to the Defense Department.
AFRICOM’s Twitter account confirmed the loss of the aircraft after being asked about social media postings of what appear to be an armed Gray Eagle drone, with a Hellfire missile still under its wing.
RELATED
The strikes come days after the Pentagon unveiled plans to remove a “majority” of the 700 U.S. troops currently in Somalia from the country and relocate them.
“We continue to work with African partners providing a range of assistance in the region to include a valuable threat detection capability via aerial overwatch,” said Karns.
Howard Altman is an award-winning editor and reporter who was previously the military reporter for the Tampa Bay Times and before that the Tampa Tribune, where he covered USCENTCOM, USSOCOM and SOF writ large among many other topics.
A Maryland couple arrested earlier this month on charges of trying to sell information about nuclear-powered warships to a foreign country have been indicted, the Justice Department said Tuesday.
The Taliban have promised plots of land to relatives of suicide bombers who attacked U.S. and Afghan soldiers, in a provocative gesture that seems to run counter to their efforts to court international support.
Contamination with PFAS chemicals has been documented at and around Cannon Air Force Base near Clovis as well as at Holloman Air Force Base near Alamogordo and other locations in New Mexico.
Ukraine’s defense minister fired back Tuesday at Russian predictions that the U.S., in light of its rushed exit from Afghanistan, will eventually abandon Ukraine.
Oregon's governor is holding off on a deployment for now but could reconsider next year, her office said.
El Salvador has the potential to be the Soviet Union’s Cuba.
While the Navy has charged a junior sailor with starting the fire last summer, a command investigation lays blame for the botched response at all levels of command.
The accused received more than $1 million in compensation and spent an adaptive vehicle grant ona BMW 645ci luxury sports coupe.
“We are incorporating the DNA of the EC-130H — not just the DNA, we’re doing organ transplants," an L3Harris executive said.
Powell, who died Monday at age 84, appeared before the United Nations Security Council to provide justification for military action against Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, which he later acknowledged was a mistake.
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/mco/KQXQAW7XIZHB5CMZDATHNDYXBA.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/mco/CRV7ZDUIGBGLNMI4K35IXG56R4.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/mco/ATUYJGK7NFGVDAOB3QU4CMCLRI.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/mco/2I7NCRGQFVC6JCAXJJPZEZWN6M.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/mco/RX7ULNRILZFIZHMIT2YVTDL3DM.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/mco/VD4YKEHEG5F6PAPX3EU2VQXWLQ.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/mco/GXYYZPTMTBANJKK7SQWMHCIEGM.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/mco/PKHN77X265EFHOCKM62TLKWY6Q.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/mco/HCN2S5XHYFAE7H3KVAMV527SNQ.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/mco/CWHTZ6ITAJD3FLVOKUDOOF55WQ.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/mco/T7J4DWQVHBGBFI7GUOLGYMYO6I.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/mco/65SGH53HRFF6FIK5MMXTG5ERZI.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/mco/N6O5WKKPHNFPNIGDCMO7NSSL6A.jpg)