US Air Force drone crashes in waters off S. Korea's western coast
This photo, provided by the U.S. Air Force, shows an MQ-9 Reaper drone. Yonhap
SEOUL — A U.S. Air Force MQ-9 Reaper drone crashed into waters off South Korea's western coast Monday, while conducting a routine mission, military officials said.
The drone went down near Maldo-ri Island off the western city of Gunsan, about 180 kilometers south of Seoul, according to the officials.
The U.S. 8th Fighter Wing based at Kunsan Air Base in Gunsan said the drone was involved in an "incident" during a routine mission at around 4:35 a.m. "No injuries or damage to public property are reported in relation to this incident and it is currently under investigation," it said in a release.
Search efforts are reportedly under way to salvage the drone.
The incident took place after the U.S. military established a reconnaissance unit operating the drones at Kunsan Air Base in September. The U.S. military had previously deployed Reapers to the country on a rotational basis.
The Reaper is capable of conducting intelligence collection, coordination, and reconnaissance missions and has a range of 1,150 miles, according to the U.S. Air Force.