{"id":"ab78c91c-c73f-44e5-aede-01c211c1173d","slug":"mq-9-reaper-crash-south-korea-2025","kind":"malfunction","headline":"USAF MQ-9 Reaper crashed off the coast of South Korea","summary":"An MQ-9 Reaper drone assigned to Kunsan Air Base crashed into the sea near Maldo-Ri Island, South Korea, while performing a routine mission in November 2025. The incident was reported by U.S. Forces Korea.","occurredAt":"2025-11-24T00:00:00.000Z","reviewStatus":"reviewed","modelId":"0e3700b0-9892-486e-85e5-a19da5e4686e","deploymentId":"746bf592-d711-4a5e-8610-28871571369c","companyId":null,"dataCenterId":null,"aliases":[],"collisionRisk":"none","reviewNote":null,"severity":"moderate","rootCauseCategory":null,"rootCauseDetail":null,"affectedUnitsCount":null,"affectedUnitsBasis":null,"remediationStatus":null,"regulatoryAction":null,"regulatoryBody":null,"propertyDamageEstimateUsd":null,"damageEstimateBasis":null,"bodilyInjurySeverity":null,"fatalityCount":null,"lossCostClass":null,"sourceQualityTier":null,"oshaRecordable":null,"oshaCaseNumber":null,"rootCauseDisclosed":null,"publicDisclosureDate":null,"insuranceClaimPublic":null,"formFactor":"aerial","latitude":{"s":1,"e":1,"d":[39]},"longitude":{"s":-1,"e":1,"d":[97]},"autonomyClass":null,"legalOutcomeClass":"unknown","createdAt":"2026-07-14T23:23:32.044Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-21T04:49:45.339Z","model":{"id":"0e3700b0-9892-486e-85e5-a19da5e4686e","companyId":"3277dae7-9a4c-455a-836b-3c5f9c3c765b","modelName":"MQ-9 Reaper","slug":"general-atomics-parent-mq-9-reaper","description":"The MQ-9 Reaper (Predator B) is a medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) for the U.S. Air Force and allied nations. With over 27 hours endurance, speeds of 240 KTAS, operating altitude up to 50,000 feet, and a 3,850 lb payload capacity, the MQ-9 is the first hunter-killer UAV designed for long-endurance surveillance and strike missions. 575 units built as of 2026.","formFactor":"aerial","industryVertical":null,"environment":"airspace","maturityStage":"production","lifecycleState":"superseded","supersededByModelId":"363e1892-0df2-4d0e-aae9-fd19e835d78f","specs":{"payload_kg":"1700","wingspan_m":"20","endurance_hr":"27","max_altitude_ft":"50000"},"manufacturerSerial":null,"reviewStatus":"reviewed","sources":[{"url":"https://www.ga-asi.com/remotely-piloted-aircraft/mq-9b","label":"GA-ASI MQ-9B SkyGuardian product page","title":"GA-ASI MQ-9B SkyGuardian product page","mediaType":"article"},{"url":"https://www.ga-asi.com/remotely-piloted-aircraft/mq-9a","label":"MQ-9A Reaper (Predator B)","title":"MQ-9A Reaper (Predator B)","mediaType":"article","sourceName":"GA-ASI (official)"},{"url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Atomics_MQ-9_Reaper","label":"General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper","title":"General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper","mediaType":"article","sourceName":"Wikipedia"}],"aliases":[],"collisionRisk":"low","reviewNote":null,"manufacturerTermForTeleop":null,"keyFacts":[{"label":"Wingspan","value":"20 m"},{"label":"Endurance","value":"27 hours"},{"label":"Payload","value":"1700 kg"},{"label":"Max altitude","value":"50000 ft"}],"createdAt":"2026-06-27T21:36:00.189Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-14T23:23:25.983Z","unitsInFieldClaimed":null,"unitsInFieldVerified":null,"unitsManufacturedClaimed":null,"unitsManufacturedVerified":null,"unitsAsOf":null,"unitsSource":null,"salesModel":null,"priceUndisclosedSince":null,"autonomyClass":null,"autonomyStatement":null,"autonomyStatementSource":null,"demoForensics":null,"exportControlClass":null,"minCommitment":null,"warrantyTerms":null,"serviceModel":null,"productionRateClaimed":null,"productionRateEvidenced":null,"teleopRatioDisclosed":null,"interventionRateDisclosed":null},"deployment":{"id":"746bf592-d711-4a5e-8610-28871571369c","modelId":"0e3700b0-9892-486e-85e5-a19da5e4686e","versionId":null,"locationId":"c09092f4-0c0c-4142-8289-d21af7644186","operatorId":"3277dae7-9a4c-455a-836b-3c5f9c3c765b","ownerId":null,"slug":"mq-9-reaper-usaf-global-2007","status":"operational","firstSeen":"2007-05-01T00:00:00.000Z","statusChangeReason":null,"contractType":null,"pilotOutcome":null,"endedAt":null,"unitsOnSite":null,"tasksPerformed":["delivery"],"shiftStructure":null,"hoursPerDay":6,"siteType":"airport","operatorConfirmed":false,"humanSupervisionOnsite":null,"locationPrecisionTier":"verified_coordinates","deploymentScale":"large_100_plus","siteEnvironment":"outdoor","operatorType":"maker_operated","sourceQualityTier":2,"manufacturerSerial":null,"reviewStatus":"reviewed","sources":[{"url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Atomics_MQ-9_Reaper","label":"General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper","title":"General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper","mediaType":"article","sourceName":"Wikipedia","publishedAt":"2026-01-01"}],"notes":"The MQ-9 Reaper has been in continuous service with the U.S. Air Force since 2007, operating from bases including Creech AFB (Nevada), Whiteman AFB (Missouri), and forward-deployed locations across EUCOM, CENTCOM, and INDOPACOM areas of responsibility. 575 units built as of 2026.","keyFacts":[{"label":"Operator","value":"U.S. Air Force"},{"label":"Primary users","value":"USAF, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Italian Air Force, Royal Air Force (UK)"}],"reviewNote":null,"exposureHours":null,"deploymentMilesEstimate":null,"exposureBasis":null,"customerSegment":"logistics","scaleTier":"mass_100_999","contractValueUsd":null,"contractValueBasis":null,"customerCompanyId":null,"customerExternalName":null,"createdAt":"2026-07-14T23:23:26.894Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-21T17:12:33.424Z"},"company":null,"derived":{"status":"active"},"sources":[{"id":"e7fe2090-395e-45ec-9671-e4defe99bff5","incidentId":"ab78c91c-c73f-44e5-aede-01c211c1173d","url":"https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/24/asia/us-reaper-drone-crash-south-korea-intl-hnk-ml","label":"US Air Force Reaper drone crashes off South Korea","publishedAt":"2025-11-24T00:00:00.000Z","notes":null,"title":"US Air Force Reaper drone crashes off South Korea","sourceName":"CNN","mediaType":"article","videoId":null,"channel":null,"durationSec":null,"timestampSec":null,"createdAt":"2026-07-14T23:23:32.963Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-14T23:23:32.963Z"}],"responses":[],"statusEvents":[],"jsonLd":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://registry.deploy.report/incidents/mq-9-reaper-crash-south-korea-2025","url":"https://registry.deploy.report/incidents/mq-9-reaper-crash-south-korea-2025","headline":"USAF MQ-9 Reaper crashed off the coast of South Korea","description":"An MQ-9 Reaper drone assigned to Kunsan Air Base crashed into the sea near Maldo-Ri Island, South Korea, while performing a routine mission in November 2025. The incident was reported by U.S. Forces Korea.","identifier":"ab78c91c-c73f-44e5-aede-01c211c1173d","datePublished":"2025-11-24T00:00:00.000Z","articleSection":"malfunction","publisher":{"@id":"https://deploy.report/#organization"},"author":{"@id":"https://deploy.report/#organization"}},"framework_metadata":{"framework_schema_version":"0.1.0","verification_status":"verified","maturity_stage":null,"lifecycle_state":null,"architectural_position":{"cohort":null,"sub_cohorts":[]},"within_cohort_verified_vs_claimed_pair":null,"cap_flags":[],"verification_depth":{"sources_count":1,"primary_source_types":[]}}}