Russian fighter jet forces down US drone over Black Sea after intercept

[mountaineer]

Russian fighter jet forces down US drone over Black Sea after intercept
 By Oren Liebermann, CNN
Updated 1:26 PM EDT, Tue March 14, 2023

A Russian fighter jet forced down a US Air Force drone over the Black Sea on Tuesday after damaging the propeller of the American MQ-9 Reaper drone, according to a US official familiar with the incident.

The Reaper drone and two SU-27 Flanker jets were operating over international waters over the Black Sea when one of the Russian jets intentionally flew in front of and dumped fuel in front of the unmanned drone, according to the official. One of the jets then damaged the propeller of the Reaper, which is mounted on the rear of the drone, the official said. The damage to the propeller forced the US to bring down the Reaper in international waters in the Black Sea.

The US Air Force issued a statement accusing the Russian aircraft of acting in a “reckless, environmentally unsound and unprofessional manner.”

“At approximately 7:03 AM (CET), one of the Russian Su-27 aircraft struck the propeller of the MQ-9, causing U.S. forces to have to bring the MQ-9 down in international waters. Several times before the collision, the Su-27s dumped fuel on and flew in front of the MQ-9 in a reckless, environmentally unsound and unprofessional manner. This incident demonstrates a lack of competence in addition to being unsafe and unprofessional,” US Air Force Gen. James B.Hecker, commander, U.S. Air Forces Europe and Air Forces Africa said in the statement.  ...

The environmental soundness of the event is our military's big concern? We are doomed.

[Kamaji]

It was also an unprovoked attack on another sovereign nation in international waters.

[mountaineer]

FOX reporter tweets:

Liz Friden
@Liz_Friden
BREAKING: A Russian Su-27 jet collided with a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Black Sea Tuesday morning in international airspace over international waters. The propeller to the drone was damaged and the drone fell into the Black Sea, west of Crimea.
12:54 PM · Mar 14, 2023

Liz Friden
@Liz_Friden
"Several times before the collision, the Su-27s dumped fuel on and flew in front of the MQ-9 in a reckless, environmentally unsound and unprofessional manner. This incident demonstrates a lack of competence in addition to being unsafe and unprofessional," EUCOM says
12:57 PM · Mar 14, 2023

Liz Friden
@Liz_Friden
In a virtual call with press, NSC's John Kirby said intercepts are common but this is, "the first time that an intercept resulted in the splashing of one of our drones."
"I want to stress that that this MQ-9 was operating in international airspace over international waters and posed a threat to nobody. And it was an unsafe and unprofessional intercept," Kirby said.
1:57 PM · Mar 14, 2023

[Kamaji]

While this was an unprovoked attack on another sovereign nation by Russia - ever the orcs - this is one of the primary values of unmanned drones - the damage can in effect be ignored because it is not quite the same thing as an unprovoked attack on a manned aircraft.

[Smokin Joe]

While this was an unprovoked attack on another sovereign nation by Russia - ever the orcs - this is one of the primary values of unmanned drones - the damage can in effect be ignored because it is not quite the same thing as an unprovoked attack on a manned aircraft.

Wonder what they'd say if one of those had a self-destruct that just happened to detonate about the time the fighter was real close...

[Kamaji]

Wonder what they'd say if one of those had a self-destruct that just happened to detonate about the time the fighter was real close...

Another value to using unmanned vehicles - one can put a self-destruct onto them.  That sounds like a gonzo idea!

[mystery-ak]

Russia Denies It Downed US Military Drone

Russia Denies It Downed US Military Drone
U.S. News StaffJuly 6, 2021


(Reuters) - Russia's defence ministry said on Tuesday that its fighter jets did not come into contact with a U.S. drone that crashed into the Black Sea earlier, claiming instead that the drone crashed due to "sharp maneuvering".

"The Russian fighters did not use their onboard weapons, did not come into contact with the UAV and returned safely to their home airfield," the defence ministry said.

https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2023-03-14/russia-denies-it-downed-us-military-drone

[Kamaji]

Russia Denies It Downed US Military Drone

Russia Denies It Downed US Military Drone
U.S. News StaffJuly 6, 2021


(Reuters) - Russia's defence ministry said on Tuesday that its fighter jets did not come into contact with a U.S. drone that crashed into the Black Sea earlier, claiming instead that the drone crashed due to "sharp maneuvering".

"The Russian fighters did not use their onboard weapons, did not come into contact with the UAV and returned safely to their home airfield," the defence ministry said.

https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2023-03-14/russia-denies-it-downed-us-military-drone

Sure.

[mystery-ak]

US SUMMONS Russian ambassador as Moscow DENIES its fighter jet collided with American Reaper drone in international airspace and sent $32M unmanned spy plane crashing into Black Sea after dumping fuel on it

    US military said a Russian fighter jet clipped the propeller of the MQ-9 drone
    Crash forced the US drone down over the Black Sea in a total loss of the aircraft
    US slams Russian fighter pilots as incompetent, unsafe and unprofessional

By Chris Jewers For Mailonline and Keith Griffith For Dailymail.com

Published: 12:59 EDT, 14 March 2023 | Updated: 17:23 EDT, 14 March 2023

The State Department has summoned Anatoly Antonov, Russia's ambassador to the US, to voice protest after a Russian fighter jet collided with and destroyed an American Reaper drone over the Black Sea.

US officials said the MQ-9 surveillance drone was downed early on Tuesday following an 'unsafe and unprofessional intercept' in international airspace by two Russian Su-27 fighter jets.

Pentagon officials said the Russian fighters harassed the drone by dumping fuel on it and flying in front of it, before one Su-27 clipped the propeller of the $32 million drone, forcing it down over the Black Sea in a total loss of the unmanned aircraft.

more
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11859443/Russian-fighter-jet-CRASHES-Reaper-drone-Black-Sea.html

[rangerrebew]

Biden Admin Outraged That Russian Attack on U.S. Drone Was ‘Environmentally Unsound’
 
Adam Kredo
March 15, 2023
The Biden administration took specific issue with the fact that Russia’s attack on a U.S. drone operating in international waters was "environmentally unsound."

OTS_v2
Russian warplanes on Tuesday attacked a U.S. surveillance drone patrolling in the Black Sea, forcing it to land in international waters. The Pentagon signaled it is particularly outraged over the Russian pilots’ decision to dump fuel on and around the drone.

"Several times before the collision, the [Russian] Su-27s dumped fuel on and flew in front of the [American] MQ-9 in a reckless, environmentally unsound, and unprofessional manner," U.S. European Command said in a statement on the incident, which it called "unsafe and unprofessional."

The Pentagon’s focus on the environmental impact of a military skirmish with Russia—the first since Moscow launched its unprovoked war in Ukraine last year—highlights the American military’s growing focus on green priorities under the Biden administration. "Tackling the climate crisis," as the Defense Department puts it, is one of America’s top national security issues under President Joe Biden.
 
https://freebeacon.com/national-security/biden-admin-outraged-that-russian-attack-on-u-s-drone-was-environmentally-unsound/

[rangerrebew]

The air pollution he befouled the air with by making such a stupid statement didn't do anything for the environment, either.

[catfish1957]

"Environmentally Unsound"? 

If he was complict in Nordstrom pipeline destruction, and the largest man made hydrocarbon release in history.......

I thnk we may have hit the absolute. ultimate in gaslighting.

[The_Reader_David]

I guess it has escaped their notice, but war is "environmentally unsound."

[catfish1957]

"Environmentally Unsound"? 

If he was complict in Nordstrom pipeline destruction, and the largest man made hydrocarbon release in history.......

I thnk we may have hit the absolute. ultimate in gaslighting.

Nordstrom pipeline release 500,000 tons of hydrocarbon. One time release.  Or 0.5 Million Tons

From 2014, last number I could find, so it is probably sustantially less.   The entire industrial base of the United States in 365 days emitted 4.5  Million tons of hydrocarbon. And this not just SIC code 2921 for refining.......   This is for all industry.   So much for Pedo Joe being the environmental president.

[verga]

Biden Admin Outraged That Russian Attack on U.S. Drone Was ‘Environmentally Unsound’

https://freebeacon.com/national-security/biden-admin-outraged-that-russian-attack-on-u-s-drone-was-environmentally-unsound/

Seriously, that is their only gripe? FJB

[mystery-ak]

Russia Has Located U.S. Drone and Will Attempt to Receive Tech and Data, Kremlin Media Claims

Oliver JJ Lane


Russian forces are on the verge of starting a recovery attempt on a downed U.S. Air Force drone that crashed into the Black Sea this week, pro-Kremlin publishers claim.

An MQ-8 ‘Reaper’ drone was a “total loss” this week, the Pentagon said this week after it was rammed by a Russian jet, damaging its propeller and causing it to lose power. Despite the U.S. releasing footage of Russian jets harassing the drone by spraying jet fuel on it, and even colliding with the drone to damage it, Russia is still maintaining its position that the drone fell out of the air spontaneously and they were not responsible.

Yet a race appears to be on to recover the remains of the unmanned vehicle, which may be valuable to Russia or its allies China and Iran for reverse-engineering technology, or if the data recording onboard didn’t successfully erase itself before it hit the water.

The United States poured cold water on the recovery on Wednesday, saying the water the drone would have landed on would be too deep. But as reported, Russia made a pretense, at least, at being willing to give it a go with one spokesman saying “I am hoping that it will be a success”.

Now reports from pro-Russian sources are making the claim they are reaching the drone and are nearly ready to attempt a recovery. Kremlin-linked source Sputnik asserted that Russian forces “may retrieve the US MQ-9 Reaper drone from the Black Sea, despite reports from Washington that the Pentagon has already erased all sensitive information from it”. They added that it was considered worth trying as nobody could be sure there was nothing valuable to be retrieved until someone had gone down to have a look.

The report from the propaganda outlet cited what they described as a “military expert” who said it was his understanding that a search ship had already reached the area and that it was likely that Russian “specialists” would be the first on the scene because the United States had no maritime assets in the area.

more
https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2023/03/16/russia-has-located-u-s-drone-and-will-attempt-to-receive-tech-and-data-kremlin-media-claims/

[mountaineer]

Why did Russia bring down the Reaper drone?
by Jon Sweet & Mark Toth
March 17, 2023 03:03 PM

Russia's downing of a U.S. Air Force Reaper MQ-9 surveillance drone over the Black Sea this week has become a new inflection point in the war in Ukraine.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has presented the pilots involved with awards. Belying video evidence which showed a Russian pilot flew into the drone, he blamed a mix of U.S. arrogance and error for the vehicle's loss. Regardless, far too much attention is being given to the actual event itself and not enough as to why Russia did what it did.

One possible motive is that Moscow wanted to send a message to Washington. By bringing down the drone, President Vladimir Putin has moved up a rung on the escalation ladder. It's a ladder he knows that the Biden administration is wary of ascending. The U.S. and NATO have repeatedly stated publicly since the onset of the war that they are acting to avoid direct physical confrontation with Russian forces.

Or perhaps this antic was designed as a show of strength to the Russian people? More importantly, to the nationalists, propagandists, and milbloggers, who have questioned Putin’s resolve in taking on the U.S. and NATO. This show of strength was likely intended to reassure the Russian population that Putin is willing to confront the West.  ... Washington Examiner

[verga]

Why did Russia bring down the Reaper drone?
by Jon Sweet & Mark Toth
March 17, 2023 03:03 PM

Russia's downing of a U.S. Air Force Reaper MQ-9 surveillance drone over the Black Sea this week has become a new inflection point in the war in Ukraine.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has presented the pilots involved with awards. Belying video evidence which showed a Russian pilot flew into the drone, he blamed a mix of U.S. arrogance and error for the vehicle's loss. Regardless, far too much attention is being given to the actual event itself and not enough as to why Russia did what it did.

One possible motive is that Moscow wanted to send a message to Washington. By bringing down the drone, President Vladimir Putin has moved up a rung on the escalation ladder. It's a ladder he knows that the Biden administration is wary of ascending. The U.S. and NATO have repeatedly stated publicly since the onset of the war that they are acting to avoid direct physical confrontation with Russian forces.

Or perhaps this antic was designed as a show of strength to the Russian people? More importantly, to the nationalists, propagandists, and milbloggers, who have questioned Putin’s resolve in taking on the U.S. and NATO. This show of strength was likely intended to reassure the Russian population that Putin is willing to confront the West.  ... Washington Examiner

I think they saw it as an opportunity to gather intelligence and technology.