MQ9B Crash: Old problem haunts drone, double generator failed
Indian Navy drone in the Bay of Bengal last week, preliminary reports indicate. The high-value drone was lost last Wednesday in a 'controlled ditching' at sea following a technical glitch.
Sources said that the crash took place after the battery of the drone that powers up its electrical systems got depleted during flight. This, they explained, took place after a reported double generator failure, a recurring problem with the MQ9 fleet in service with the US.
Officials said the drone most likely disintegrated on crashing into the sea and will be difficult to recover given the depths involved. It is being described as a total loss, though the Navy will not have to bear the costs as the drone has been taken on lease and was being operated by its manufacturer, General Atomics. The manufacturer has also been asked to submit a report on the accident by the Navy.
Primarily in use by the US forces, MQ9 has faced a recurring problem with its generators during flight, which led to a similar depletion of battery and controlled ditching in a safe area. Public records by the Flight Safety Foundation indicate that as many as 86 of the drones have been lost to various accidents and incidents over the years, which includes hostile actions, technical problems and human error.
The last crash, which has a publicly available investigation report, took place in September 2023, in which the MQ9 was lost during a mission in the Middle East. While the loss was blamed on operator failure to bring it back safely, the trouble started with
