WASHINGTON — The Navy has lost an MQ-4C Triton aircraft in a Class A mishap this month, according to a new Naval Safety Command mishap summary report.
It’s unclear if enemy fire shot down the aircraft or if it encountered a mechanical problem causing it to crash Thursday. The report stated that no personnel were injured in the crash, and did not disclose the exact location of the mishap, citing operational security concerns.
Class A aviation mishaps are ones that involve death, destruction of an aircraft, or damages that total at least $2.5 million, according to Naval Safety Command.
Although the location of the mishap is unknown, The War Zone, which first reported on the crash, noted that an MQ-4C disappeared from online flight tracking sites as it headed over the Persian Gulf earlier this month.
The MQ-4C is a high-altitude, long-endurance maritime aircraft that can operate for more than 24 hours, and is primarily responsible for providing persistent maritime intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions, according to Naval Air Systems Command.
The Navy and CENTCOM declined to comment when Breaking Defense reached out for additional details about the mishap.
The MQ-4C is a limited asset and the Navy had only received 20 as of last year, with plans to ultimately grow its fleet to a total of 27, according to budget documents from fiscal 2026. Even so, the Pentagon’s latest budget proposal released on April 3 does not include a request to procure any additional ones in FY27.
Seven Class A aviation mishaps have occurred this fiscal year — five involving manned aircraft, and two involving unmanned aircraft.
Naval Safety Command’s mishap summary report shows that an MQ-4C encountered a Class A mishap in December due to damage during maintenance at an undisclosed location. No crew members were injured in that case.