What is known – and not – about the American drone and the plane crash in Russia

WASHINGTON. When a Russian fighter jet collided with a large U.S. reconnaissance drone over the Black Sea on Tuesday, it was a rare but serious incident that sparked a U.S. diplomatic outcry and raised fears that Russia might bring back secret technology.

US and Russian officials had conflicting accounts of the MQ-9 Reaper drone and Russian Su-27 fighter jet colliding, each blaming the other. But a Pentagon spokesman suggested that the Department of Defense might eventually declassify and release the video it has of the encounter.

Defense Department officials said the drone was not found. But the Pentagon declined to say if any efforts had been made to collect the wreckage or parts of the Reaper.

Here’s what is known – and unknown – about the accident.

The Pentagon and US European Command said two Russian Su-27 jets dropped fuel on an MQ-9 that was on a routine mission to monitor the Black Sea in international airspace. They said the Russian planes flew around and in front of the drone several times for 30-40 minutes and then one of the Russian planes “hit the MQ-9 propeller, causing the US forces to shoot down the MQ-9. in international waters.”

Air Force General James Hecker, commander of the US Air Forces in Europe and Africa, said that the actions of the Russian aircraft “nearly caused both planes to crash.” Pentagon spokesman Brig. General Pat Ryder said the collision likely also damaged the Russian fighter, but the Su-27 was able to land. He didn’t say where he landed.

The Pentagon said the drone was “quite free” of any Ukrainian territory, but did not provide details. A US Defense Department spokesman said they were operating west of Crimea over the Black Sea. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to give details of the mission.

It is unclear whether the collision was accidental or deliberate, but both sides agree that the Russian plane was trying to intercept the drone.

The Russian Defense Ministry said the U.S. drone flew near the Russian border and intruded into an area that had been declared off-limits by Russian authorities. It said that the Russian military had raised fighter jets to intercept the American drone. It stated that “as a result of a sharp maneuver, the American drone went into uncontrolled flight with a loss of altitude and collided with the water surface.”

Russia has declared vast areas near Crimea off-limits to flights. From the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and long before Russia invaded Ukraine last year, Moscow has accused U.S. spy planes flying too close to its borders, ignoring notices issued by Russia.

States generally operate in international airspace and waters, and no country can claim territory limits beyond its borders.

The ministry said Russian jets took to the air to intercept the drone, but did not use their weapons or “did not make contact” with it.

The MQ-9 Reaper is a large Air Force drone that is remotely controlled by a team of two. It includes a ground control station and satellite equipment and has a wingspan of 66 feet. The team consists of a certified pilot in charge of aircraft control and an enlisted flight crew member tasked with controlling sensors and targeting weapons.

Commonly used during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan for surveillance and air strikes, the Reaper can be either armed or unarmed. It can carry up to eight laser-guided missiles, including Hellfire missiles and other complex munitions, and can stay above targets for about 24 hours. It is about 36 feet long, 12 feet high and weighs about 4900 pounds. It can fly at altitudes up to 50,000 feet and has a range of about 1,400 nautical miles.

The Reaper, which first went live in 2007, has replaced the Air Force’s smaller Predator drones. Each Reaper costs about $32 million.

The clash sparked a diplomatic outcry.

The US State Department summoned Russian Ambassador Anatoly Antonov on Tuesday to meet with Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs Karen Donfried.

“We are engaging directly with the Russians, again at the highest level, to express our strong objections to this unsafe and unprofessional interception that resulted in the downing of a U.S. drone,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said.

And White House national security spokesman John Kirby said the US would “express our concerns about this unsafe and unprofessional interception.”

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin did not speak to his Russian counterpart about the incident, Ryder said.

This is not the first time Russian jets have flown so close to US aircraft in the Black Sea that it has prompted the Pentagon to publicly condemn the incident for putting the crews at risk. In 2020, Russian planes crossed in front of a B-52 bomber flying over the Black Sea and flew 100 feet ahead of the bomber’s nose, causing turbulence.

Russian aircraft have also targeted US warships during exercises in the Black Sea. In 2021, Russian warplanes hit the US Navy destroyer USS Donald Cook, which was taking part in a major exercise. Prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year, U.S. warships were more frequently sent to the Black Sea in response to Russia’s 2014 attack on Crimea.

For the most part, however, military interceptions – in the air or at sea – are commonplace and have repeatedly happened to Russian aircraft in the Pacific, especially in the north. Just last month, American fighter jets intercepted two Russian Tu-95 bombers in international airspace off the coast of Alaska and “escorted” them for 12 minutes, according to the Pentagon.

And Russian aviation performed similar tasks, and also attacked US Navy ships in the Pacific Ocean. In most cases, interception is considered safe and professional.

It is not clear if the Russian pilots wanted to approach the Reaper or dump fuel on it because they knew it was unmanned and therefore there was no risk to the American pilot or crew. The deliberate downing of a manned aircraft with injury or death to the crew members could be considered an act of war.

AP diplomatic commentator Matthew Lee contributed to this report.