A Russian Su-30 plane intercepted a US MQ-9A Reaper drone over the Black Sea, Russia’s National Defense Management Center said on Sunday.
The Russian Defense Ministry’s National Defense Control Center (NDCC) said on Sunday that a Russian Su-30 fighter jet escorted a US MQ-9A Reaper drone over the Black Sea as it was close to Russian airspace.
“To identify the aerial target and prevent the violation of the state border of the Russian Federation, a Su-30 fighter jet of the air defense force was scrambled. The crew of the Russian jet identified the aerial target as a US Air Force MQ-9A Reaper reconnaissance UAV. As the Russian fighter approached, the foreign reconnaissance UAV made a U-turn away from the state border of the Russian Federation,” the NDCC said in a statement, adding that the drone did not violate Russia’s airspace.
The MQ-9 Reaper is a long-endurance, remotely piloted aircraft that can be used for both surveillance and attack missions. It has a wingspan of 20 meters (66 feet), a maximum weight of 4.7 tonnes, and can stay in the air for up to 27 hours.
The last time Russia encountered a US drone was on August 5, when a Reaper MQ-9 military drone over the Black Sea was intercepted and fended off by a Russian Su-30 fighter jet.
Russia deployed a Su-30 fighter jet to “prevent a violation of the Russian state border” by a US Reaper MQ-9 military drone over the Black Sea.
The Ministry elaborated that “as the Russian fighter approached, the foreign reconnaissance drone performed a U-turn away from the border.”
“The Russian aircraft returned safely to its airbase, there was no violation of the border,” the Ministry added.