US Navy reveals it lost a $240 million spy drone during the Iran war

An MQ-4C Triton drone crashed on April 9, the US military revealed this week. US Navy photo 2026-04-15T14:36:52.812Z Share Copy link Email Facebook WhatsApp X LinkedIn Bluesky Threads lighning bolt icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt.

Impact Link Save Saved Read in app This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? Log in. The US Navy has confirmed the loss of its first-ever MQ-4C spy drone, which costs roughly $240 million. A new Navy mishap report said the drone crashed earlier in April during the US-Iran war. An MQ-4C had disappeared from flight-tracking sites last week, though its fate was unknown. AI-generated summary Summaries are generated by an AI model trained on Business Insider's articles. AI may make mistakes or provide inaccurate/incomplete information. We're unable to load that answer right now. Please try again. How does drone cost impact military budgets? How does the MQ-4C compare to other drones? How does the US-Iran war affect drone use? What are "Class A" mishaps? What is Operation Epic Fury? The US Navy has confirmed the loss of an expensive spy drone amid the Iran war, its first known loss of this particular uncrewed aircraft. Loading audio narration...

Naval Safety Command revealed in a new aviation mishaps report that an MQ-4C Triton crashed on April 9, with no injury to personnel. The document did not specify where the drone went down, citing operational security.Last week, an MQ-4C out of Naval Air Station Sigonella in Italy was flying a mission over the Persian Gulf when it suddenly and rapidly descended and disappeared from flight-tracking sites, leading to speculation that it had crashed in the Middle East. The Navy report listed the MQ-4C under "Class A" mishaps, meaning the incident caused more than $2.5 million in damage and/or destroyed the aircraft. The designation is also used to indicate that an accident caused a fatality or permanent total disability, though that doesn't appear to apply in this case.Neither US Central Command, which oversees American operations in the Middle East, nor the Navy provided a comment on or an explanation for the MQ-4C crash.

The War Zone, a military news site, first reported the drone's inclusion in the mishap report. MQ-4Cs are estimated to cost $240 million apiece. US Navy photo The MQ-4C, manufactured by American defense contractor Northrop Grumman, is an advanced high-altitude, long-endurance drone designed for maritime intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions. The aircraft can operate for more than 24 hours and fly at up to 50,000 feet.As of last year, the Navy was operating 20 MQ-4Cs, making the loss of one significant. These drones are estimated to cost $240 million apiece, roughly eight times more expensive than the Air Force's MQ-9 Reaper, a combat drone that has also seen losses during the US war with Iran. The US has lost a number of crewed and uncrewed aircraft during Operation Epic Fury. Three F-15 fighter jets were shot down by Kuwait in a friendly fire incident, while a fourth Strike Eagle and an A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft were downed by Iran. A KC-135 refueling plane also crashed in Iraq, killing all six crew members.Iranian strikes have also damaged support aircraft on the ground at US bases in the Gulf region, including a high-value E-3 Sentry command plane. The US and Iran agreed to a brief ceasefire last week, but the conflict has moved into a new phase. The American military said last weekend that it would start clearing naval mines from the Strait of Hormuz and block maritime traffic from entering or leaving Iranian ports.CENTCOM said on Tuesday that the blockade involves more than a dozen US warships, as well as drones and surveillance aircraft.