As speculation that a major US strike against Iran could be nearing, America’s most trusted spy drones have begun gathering intelligence high over the Persian Gulf.
A remote-controlled Triton drone took off from Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday, spending several minutes over the Persian Gulf before heading towards Saudi Arabia and Iraq.
Both countries are close neighbors of Iran, sitting on the opposite side of the Gulf, where two US Navy carrier strike groups will soon be stationed after negotiations with Tehran collapsed over President Trump’s nuclear red line.
The MQ-4 Triton is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) designed primarily for the Navy as a high-altitude, long-range aircraft for surveillance missions typically over water.
It can operate at altitudes higher than 50,000 feet for over 24 hours, covering a range of roughly 8,500 miles.
The Navy uses these drones, which have advanced 360-degree radar, to detect, track, and classify targets over large areas in advance of potential military operations.
Wednesday’s flight was the latest instance of an MQ-4 taking off to do reconnaissance over the Middle East, as another Triton was spotted by the flight-tracking website Flight Aware 24 on February 14.
Unlike the latest drone, which was headed to west of Iran, Saturday patrol tool the Triton to the southeast of Iran’s coastline.
This is a breaking story. More details to follow.
