American Military Drone Crashes during Training in Romania

An American drone of the MQ-9 Reaper type crashed during a military exercise in Romania.

At the air base in Cluj County of Romania, Campia Turzii, the United States periodically sent, based on bilateral relations, combat aircraft and military personnel to participate in exercises and train with Romanian soldiers.

Remotely controlled, the MQ-9 Reaper drone is intended explicitly for missions including target detection and neutralization as well as surveillance and reconnaissance.

American military frequently visited Base 71 for annual military drills involving F-15 or F-16 fighter jets, and three times between 2019 and 2021, the USA brought MQ-9 Reaper attack drones to Campia Turzii.

The drone finished its mission and crashed as it was about to land 2-3 kilometres from the air base. There were no armaments on the drone.

This event occurred during a training mission, the drone crashed in an unpopulated area, and there were no victims, according to the Romanian Ministry of National Defense Vasile Dincu.

Since NATO strengthened its presence in Romania due to the military conflict between Ukraine and Russia, many such military exercises had unexpected outcomes.