United States Navy MQ-4C Triton Crash

A US Navy MQ-4C Triton crashed into the Persian Gulf on 9 April 2026 after controllers lost communications with the aircraft. Tracking showed it descending from 52,000 feet to 9,500 feet in fifteen minutes before impact. At roughly $238 million, it was the single most expensive airframe lost by US forces during the war. The Triton provided broad-area maritime surveillance over the Strait of Hormuz, a mission that became central once Iran began attacking commercial shipping.