US $30 million UAV loses control in Polish skies

The MQ-9 UAV lost contact with US soldiers at the Miroslawiec base during a training flight, before making an emergency landing in a deserted area.

The Polish Armed Forces General Staff said the US MQ-9 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) took off from the Miroslawiec base in the northwest of the country and lost contact with the control station on the evening of March 18.

The aircraft was on a routine training mission and was unarmed. Attempts to establish communication and regain control of the aircraft appeared to be unsuccessful.

US MQ-9 aircraft deployed at Miroslawiec base in 2019. Photo: USAF

"The UAV made an emergency landing according to procedure, landing in an uninhabited and protected area near Miroslawiec. The scene has been cordoned off and military police are investigating," the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces said.

The cause of the loss of communication, as well as the extent of damage to the MQ-9, is unknown.

The US Air Force has not commented on the information.

The MQ-9 Reaper is an armed UAV manufactured by the American corporation General Atomics for the US Air Force. The designation "MQ" indicates that it is a multi-mission drone, while "9" is the aircraft's order in the US UAV line. This is the first US hunter-killer UAV line designed for long-range reconnaissance at high altitudes.

Location of Miroslawiec base. Graphics: Google Maps

The MQ-9's sensor system includes the AN/DAS-1 multispectral target designator with color television, infrared and laser irradiator, combined with the AN/APY-8 Lynx II radar with synthetic aperture scanning to create a three-dimensional image of the terrain and search for targets.

A report by the US Congressional Research Service said each Reaper drone costs about $30 million to build. The US MQ-9 unit based in Miroslawiec began operations in March 2019.

Vu Anh (According to RMF24 )

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