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U.S. Air Force completes recovery of crashed MQ-9 drone

Published: 14 Dec. 2025, 13:07

A U.S. Air Force MQ-9 Reaper is parked at Rafael Hernandez Airport in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico on Nov. 17. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

A U.S. Air Force unit based in Korea said Sunday it has completed the recovery operations of a MQ-9 drone that crashed off the country's west coast last month.

The drone, also known as the Reaper, crashed near Maldo-ri Island off the western city of Gunsan, about 180 kilometers (111.8 miles) south of Seoul, on Nov. 24, with no injuries reported. An investigation into the cause of the incident is underway.

“Following a thorough and collaborative effort, the recovery operation has now been successfully completed,” the 8th Fighter Wing told Yonhap News Agency, in response to a query on follow-up measures.

The U.S. Air Force had conducted the operation in cooperation with the South Korean Navy, the Coast Guard and the Army.

“The combined expertise and resources of our two militaries were essential to the success of this operation,” it said, thanking the South Korean military for their “strong partnership.”

The U.S. Air Force unit did not elaborate on whether it plans to deploy another MQ-9 to fill a potential reconnaissance gap caused by the crash, but said it remains committed to ensuring mission requirements.

“Our priority remains the safety and effectiveness of our operations. We are continuously evaluating our operational posture and resource allocation to ensure mission requirements are met,” it said.

The crashed drone was among the fleet of MQ-9 drones that had been assigned to the 431st Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron at the U.S. air base in Gunsan, launched in late September. It marked the first time such a squadron was activated on the Korean Peninsula following previous rotational deployments.

The MQ-9 is designed for both surveillance and attack missions and is capable of long-distance flight. Once deployed, it is believed to be capable of conducting surveillance on North Korea and monitoring China's activities in the Yellow Sea.

Yonhap