US Triton Drone Worth 350 Billion Won Missing Over Hormuz Confirmed Crashed After Five Days

[Financial News] The Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton unmanned reconnaissance aircraft that went missing while on a surveillance mission in the Strait of Hormuz area has been officially confirmed to have crashed, five days after it disappeared.
The Naval Safety Command stated in an aviation accident status report released on the 14th (local time), "On April 9, 2026, a Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton crashed," adding, "There were no casualties."
The aircraft, known as the Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton, is a high-altitude, long-endurance maritime surveillance drone operated by the United States Navy. It can fly for more than 24 hours at altitudes above 50,000 feet (about 15 kilometers), allowing long-term monitoring of vast ocean areas. Each unit is reported to cost around 240 million dollars, or roughly 353 billion won.
The United States Navy classified the crash as a Class A mishap, meaning it caused damage of more than 2 million dollars (about 2.9 billion won). The exact crash location was not disclosed for operational security (OPSEC) reasons. However, military outlet The War Zone reported, citing US Navy documents, that the aircraft suddenly disappeared from an online flight-tracking website on April 9 while flying over the Persian Gulf.
According to The War Zone (TWZ), the drone rapidly descended from its usual cruising altitude of about 50,000 feet to below 10,000 feet (around 3 kilometers) before its tracking signal was lost. It is believed that the aircraft was returning to Naval Air Station Sigonella in Italy after completing a surveillance mission over the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.
TWZ reported that the aircraft was observed flying in international airspace over the Persian Gulf in the direction of the Islamic Republic of Iran, but there is no evidence that it crashed on Iranian territory.
bng@fnnews.com Kim Hee-sun Reporter