US Reconnaissance Drone Crashes Into Yellow Sea During Routine Mission
A US military reconnaissance drone based in South Korea crashed into the Yellow Sea early Monday, according to local media reports.
US Forces Korea (USFK) said the MQ-9 Reaper went down during a routine operation, although the cause of the crash remains unknown, Korea JoongAng Daily reported.
Crash Near Maldo-ri Island
The drone belonged to the 431st Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron at Kunsan Air Base. It experienced an in-flight problem and crashed into waters near Maldo-ri Island, close to Okdo-myeon in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province.
A USFK spokesperson noted that the incident caused no injuries or damage to civilian property, and military investigators have begun looking into what happened.
Recent Deployment and Other Incidents
The accident occurred two months after USFK announced the permanent deployment of MQ-9 Reapers to the Korean Peninsula in September.
South Korea also grounded its KF-16 fighter jets in June after one aircraft was damaged during joint air drills with the US in Alaska.
Last month, both a US Navy fighter jet and a military helicopter crashed separately into the South China Sea, according to the US Pacific Fleet.
More than 28,500 US troops remain stationed in South Korea under the long-standing mutual defense treaty between Washington and Seoul.
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