A U.S. 7th Air Force MQ-9 (Reaper) multipurpose unmanned aircraft crashed while on a mission at about 4:35 a.m. on the 24th in waters off Maldo-ri Island, Okdo-myeon, Gunsan, North Jeolla Province.

The MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle, known as the 'assassin in the sky,' is in flight./Courtesy of Chosun DB

The U.S. 7th Air Force said on its website that the Reaper was involved in an accident while carrying out a mission, and noted that no injuries or damage to public asset had been reported in connection with the accident.

The accident occurred about two months after the Reaper was permanently stationed at Gunsan Air Base. Earlier, on Sept. 9, the U.S. 7th Air Force said the 431st Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron, equipped with MQ-9s, was established at Gunsan Air Base. The squadron commander is Lt. Col. Douglas J. Slater.

The MQ-9 is a medium-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle known as the "assassin in the sky." It can perform multipurpose missions such as time-sensitive targeting, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.

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