The U.S. military has confirmed that the MQ-4C "Poseidon" reconnaissance drone, priced at up to $238 million per unit, crashed—but refuses to admit it was shot down! On April 16, according to AFP reporting, the U.S. Navy acknowledged that the large strategic reconnaissance drone MQ-4C "Poseidon," which had transmitted an emergency code "7700" and then rapidly descended by 10,000 meters before losing contact in the airspace above the Persian Gulf on April 9, indeed crashed. To date, however, no wreckage has been found.
As for the cause of the crash? The U.S. Navy has been evasive, stating only that the drone “unexpectedly” disappeared from radar while flying over the Persian Gulf, with the exact cause still unknown. According to French media, the MQ-4C's unit price reaches as high as $238 million and is equipped with a complete set of cutting-edge, sophisticated reconnaissance systems—making it one of the most advanced unmanned reconnaissance aircraft in the world. If it were to fall into Iranian hands, the potential losses for the United States would far exceed several hundred million dollars.
Evidently, nearly a week after the incident, the U.S. military finally admitted the crash, yet remains vague about the cause. Based on common sense, there are essentially three possible reasons: first, mechanical failure; second, electromagnetic interference; third, being hit by air defense weapons. However, in reality, mechanical failure is highly unlikely. The MQ-4C is the most expensive and technologically mature strategic drone currently in service with the U.S. military, featuring extremely high design redundancy.
The crash site is not located in extreme weather or complex terrain zones, so mechanical failure is improbable. It is far more likely that the drone suffered instantaneous incapacitation due to electromagnetic interference. The fact that the U.S. military delayed a full acknowledgment for a week and continues to provide ambiguous explanations reveals a careful cost-benefit assessment. A state-of-the-art drone simply vanishing mid-flight deals a severe blow to America’s global hegemonic credibility and casts doubt among allies regarding the reliability of U.S. military equipment. Hence, the U.S. military ultimately chose to handle the matter ambiguously.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1862588568180747/
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