This is the incident that many feared. On Tuesday, March 14, a Reaper MQ-9 drone crashed in the Black Sea following action by a Russian fighter jet.
In fact, the area is very sensitive. It has six riparian countries including Ukraine (in the northwest) and Russia (in the northeast) and therefore many military ships are there with many overflights by surveillance and fighter planes. Russia also has a naval base there in Crimea.
Very recently, an American B-52 Stratofortress was seen there not far from the shores of the Black Sea, on the border of Romania and Bulgaria, two other riparian countries located to the west of this sea.
Following this accident, tensions rose somewhat between the United States, which accuses the Russian air force of having shot down one of its drones, and Russia, which Washington stopped “hostile” flights near its borders. Some elements to better understand this situation.
• What is a Reaper drone?
A Reaper drone is an American device designed by General Atomics to carry out reconnaissance and surveillance missions. It is also a killer drone capable of carrying out attacks with formidable precision, hence its name Reaper.
It is a MALE (Medium Altitude Long Endurance) drone with a wingspan of 20 meters. The MQ-9 is the latest version of the Reaper. It can transport loads of up to one ton, almost 500 kilos of bombs, and has several fuel tanks to guarantee a range of up to 42 hours.
Loaded with sensors, it captures all possible information (images, sound, transmissions, data, etc.) from the regions over which it flies and transmits it live to a ground station where its crew is located.
The United States has a fleet of several hundred of these drones. They are sold to other countries, including France, which used them in Africa during Operation Barkhane. French pilots train at the Cognac airbase, where Air Force fighter pilots also train.
• Deliberate attack or accident?
This is a serious problem that could inflame tensions between Russia and NATO. The Russian Defense Ministry says the Reaper was flying over “the area of the Crimean peninsula” and was moving “in the direction” of Russia’s borders.
Also according to Moscow, the aircraft was flying “with the transponders turned off” and had violated “the zone of the provisional regime for the use of the airspace established to carry out the special military operation” in Ukraine, according to the ministry. Moscow claims that the two Sukhoi did not hit him, did not shoot him and are not responsible for his fall.
Washington “refutes” this version. John Kirby, White House spokesman, denounces a “reckless act” by the Russians. The Americans have audio and video recordings of the Reaper to contradict the Russian version. In a conference call on Wednesday, John Kirby confirmed that “the US drone was flying over international waters and did not need Russian clearance.”
The Reaper crash was allegedly caused by the Russian pilots. One of the SU-27s reportedly dumped fuel to blind the Reaper before ramming its wing to destabilize it. The pilots on the ground who were no longer in control of the aircraft would then have decided to shoot it down, Brigadier General Pat Ryder, a Pentagon spokesman, acknowledged, confirming that the drone was “incapable of flying and therefore uncontrollable. We brought it back.” . below.”
So the drop is not because of the Russians, but they have done everything they can to get there.
In the past, there have been interceptions of US drones that were accompanied by Russian aircraft, “but this incident was ‘unique’ in that it resulted in the loss of the Reaper.”
• Should we fear the consequences?
The Russians and the Americans want to show their determination, but they don’t want an escalation. “Aircraft and drone interceptions are common, but the destruction of one of our aircraft is the first time. We are determined to protect our forces and meet all threats that come our way,” said John Kirby.
The diplomatic channel has been privileged for the moment. Washington summoned yesterday the Russian ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov, and the US ambassador to Moscow, Lynne Tracy, sent a message to the Russian Foreign Ministry. The term used is not an “attack”, but an “interception”.
• Race against time to recover debris?
A race against time begins. Beyond diplomacy, the priority mission of the Americans, but also of the Russians, is to recover the debris of the Reaper. Moscow has a substantial fleet in the Black Sea, unlike the Americans who have no ships there. The Montreux Convention signed in 1936 does not allow them to be there in case of conflict.
But there are melodies. Since yesterday, a US Navy Boeing P8 A Poseidon has been flying over the accident area. As soon as the debris has been located, the United States will have to ask a country bordering the Black Sea to recover the wreckage. Presumably, it is the Romanians who will search for her with the unofficial help of American combat swimmers.
In any case, Turkey, although a NATO member, will not be associated with these operations lest it risk access to sensitive US technologies.
When it comes to drones, Ankara is already at the forefront, particularly with the Bayraktar drones it supplies to Ukraine. On the other hand, its ambiguous relations with Moscow complicate relations with Washington.
Source: BFM TV
