The U.S. Navy has confirmed the loss of an MQ-4C Triton surveillance drone in the Persian Gulf on April 9, according to a Naval Safety Command mishap report published April 14.
On its way back to base, the US Navy MQ-4C Triton reconnaissance drone that had been patrolling the Strait of Hormuz took a turn towards Iran, squawked code 7700 (general emergency), and started descending, falling off ADS-B as it dropped under 10k feet. pic.twitter.com/1Ki8OsEk9k
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) April 9, 2026
Naval Safety Command classified the incident as a Class A mishap, the category covering aircraft destruction or at least $2.5 million in damage, and recorded the entry as “9 Apr 2026 (Location Withheld – OPSEC) MQ-4C crashed, no injury to personnel.”
Public flight tracking data recorded the Triton on a return leg to Naval Air Station (NAS) Sigonella, Italy from a patrol over the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz.
The aircraft transmitted transponder code 7400, indicating a lost link with its remote pilot, then reportedly switched to 7700, a general emergency, as it descended from 52,000 feet to 9,500 feet in roughly 15 minutes.
The signal disappeared at low altitude, its last tracked heading oriented toward Iran, though no evidence places it in Iranian airspace.
The cause has not been determined. The 7400 squawk indicates a ground control link failure preceded the emergency declaration. External interference or jamming has not been ruled out, The Aviationist reported.
The Navy operated 20 MQ-4Cs as of 2025, each valued at approximately $238 million per Defense Department procurement documents.
The Pentagon’s Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) budget request, published April 3, six days before the crash, includes no procurement of additional Tritons. The fleet now stands at 19, against a planned inventory of 27, with no funded replacement.
CENTCOM stated Tuesday that mine-clearing and blockade operations in the strait involve more than a dozen warships, drones, and surveillance aircraft.
After a patrol over the Strait of Hormuz, the Triton is now returning to Sigonella. pic.twitter.com/NBYSHmXzZK
— itamilradar (@ItaMilRadar) April 14, 2026
A second MQ-4C was tracked over the Gulf on April 16, the first visible sortie since the crash.
