Reaper drone down: Mystery crash raises questions in Syria

The MQ-9 Reaper drone is often referred to as a "terrorist hunter." This time, however, the drone, belonging to the U.S. Air Force, became a victim. It is still unclear whether a technical failure or so-called friendly fire caused the crash.

Social media observers suggest that the MQ-9 Reaper's crash could have been technical problems rather than a shootdown. The drone was likely conducting a reconnaissance mission over Syria, where the rapid advances of opposition forces ended the rule of President Bashar al-Assad, who Russia and Iran supported.

The MQ-9 Reaper is a MALE class (Medium Altitude, Long Endurance) unmanned aerial vehicle designed for reconnaissance missions and attacks on important targets using precision weapons. It was developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, based on the MQ-1 Predator, mainly for the U.S. Air Force.

The turboprop engine allows this machine to reach over 400 km/h speeds. The drone can ascend to an altitude of up to 15,000 metres and remain airborne for up to 28 hours (up to 33 hours in the Reaper ER version).

The MQ-9 Reaper measures approximately 11 metres and can carry reconnaissance equipment or weapons with a total weight of 1,750 kilograms.

For reconnaissance missions, a range of advanced equipment is used, such as the AN/APY-8 Lynx synthetic aperture radar, an electro-optical targeting system, laser rangefinders, and target designators. For example, the information collected can be transmitted to ground-based anti-tank missile launchers or allied aircraft. In combat missions, the MQ-9 Reaper's arsenal may include not only bombs but also air-to-ground missiles, such as the AGM-114 Hellfire or AIM-9 Sidewinder.