A Navy drone was damaged during takeoff in the Middle East late last month, U.S. 5th Fleet officials confirmed this week.

The RQ-4A Global Hawk — officially known as the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance Aircraft Demonstrator, or BAMS-D — struck foreign object debris at an undisclosed location on Nov. 26, according to 5th Fleet spokesman Lt. Pete Pagano.

“The mishap resulted in damage to the port side of the aircraft,” Pagano said in an email. “No personnel were injured.”

The Naval Safety Center categorized the incident as a “Class A” mishap, which involves damage totaling at least $2 million.

Pagano declined to provide further details, citing an ongoing investigation into the incident.

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The Iran Revolutionary Guard said it shot down the drone over Iranian airspace, while two U.S. officials told The Associated Press that the downing happened over international airspace in the Strait of Hormuz. The different accounts could not be immediately reconciled.
By Nassir Karimi and Jon Gambrell, The Associated Press

It’s been a rough year for the Navy’s Global Hawk fleet, a reconnaissance robot with a 130-foot wingspan.

Another Global Hawk was shot down by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard in June over the Strait of Hormuz.

Geoff is the editor of Navy Times, but he still loves writing stories. He covered Iraq and Afghanistan extensively and was a reporter at the Chicago Tribune. He welcomes any and all kinds of tips at geoffz@militarytimes.com.

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