U.S. military says Russian air defenses shot down American drone over Libyan capital

The news agency Reuters reported Saturday that the U.S. military believes that unarmed U.S. Africa Command remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) reported lost over Tripoli, Libya, Nov. 21 was in fact shot down by Russian air defenses and it is demanding the return of the aircraft’s wreckage.

U.S. Army General Stephen Townsend, who leads Africa command, said he believed the operators of the air defenses at the time “didn’t know it was a U.S. remotely piloted aircraft when they fired on it.”

“But they certainly know who it belongs to now and they are refusing to return it. They say they don’t know where it is but I am not buying it,” Townsend told Reuters in a statement, without elaborating.

- ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW -

The U.S. assessment, which has not been previously disclosed, concludes that either Russian private military contractors or Haftar’s so-called Libyan National Army were operating the air defenses at the time the drone was reported lost on Nov. 21, said Africa Command spokesman Air Force Colonel Christopher Karns.

Early, the U.S. Africa Command noted that RPA operations are conducted in Libya to assess the ongoing security situation and monitor violent extremist activity.

These operations are critical to counter terror activity in Libya and are fully coordinated with appropriate government officials.

If you would like to show your support for what we are doing, here's where to do it.

If you wish to report grammatical or factual errors within our news articles, you can let us know by using the online feedback form.

Executive Editor

About author:

Dylan Malyasov
Dylan Malyasov
Dylan Malyasov is the editor-in-chief of Defence Blog. He is a journalist, an accredited defense advisor, and a consultant. His background as a defense advisor and consultant adds a unique perspective to his journalistic endeavors, ensuring that his reporting is well-informed and authoritative. read more

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE

TRENDING NOW