The United States uses a type of military spy drone, the MQ-9 Reaper, which was shot down by a Russian fighter last Tuesday, causing further tension between the Kremlin and the West.
But, what exactly are these types of drones for?
Do they have any function that is not solely military?
What do they mean on the ground?
In the video that accompanies this news item, Félix Artega, principal investigator at the Elcano Royal Institute, and Roberto Gutiérrez, editor of Ejércitos magazine, explain the functions and objectives of these unmanned aircraft.
The United States has used them before in Iraq and Afghanistan, but there is also evidence of their use in the Arabian Peninsula and in Africa.
More information
Last hour of the Ukrainian war
The Reaper drone, in reconnaissance and surveillance work, and two Russian Su-27 fighters were flying over international waters of the Black Sea on Tuesday, March 14, when one of the Russian aircraft intentionally flew in front of the drone, damaging a propeller and spewing fuel, according to US testimonies.
An incident that was condemned by the Pentagon, which called it "reckless."
The Moscow version denies that its planes shot down the device, and blames its fall on remote "bad piloting".
According to the Kremlin, the drone was detected in the vicinity of the Crimean peninsula.
The United States has been operating Reaper drone surveillance for months over the strategic Black Sea, the only outlet to the Mediterranean for Russia, as well as Ukraine's grain-laden ships.
According to the US Air Force, Reaper drones can fly at altitudes of up to 15,000 meters and have sensors and capabilities to gather information and perform reconnaissance tasks for long periods, making them an ideal platform for tracking movements. on the battlefield and in the Black Sea.
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