The Iran-backed Houthi terror group in Yemen claimed on Sunday to have shot down a US-made MQ-9 drone, according to the Associated Press and ABC News, citing a pre-recorded message published by Houthi military spokesperson Brig.-Gen. Yahya Saree.
The MQ-9 drone is reportedly a multi-million dollar surveillance aircraft, with Forbes reporting the value of said drone standing at around $30 million. The drone can fly as high as 50,000 feet with a range of 1,150 miles, the Air Force noted.
The Houthis “continue to perform their jihadist duties in victory for the oppressed Palestinian people and in defense of dear Yemen,” Saree said.
The Houthis offered no evidence to support their claims, according to the reports. The US military also told AP it had “received no reports” of a US drone being downed.
Saree claimed the drone was downed in the Marib province, a key oil and gas field.
The MQ-9 drone
The MQ-9 Reaper drone is primarily utilized as an intelligence-collection asset, according to the US Air Force.
The drone boasts “significant loiter time, wide-range sensors, multi-mode communications suite, and precision” weapon capabilities. It also “provides a unique capability to perform strike, coordination, and reconnaissance against high-value, fleeting, and time-sensitive targets,” the US Air Force noted.