{"id":41580,"date":"2020-03-05T15:08:26","date_gmt":"2020-03-05T15:08:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/uncategorized\/2020\/03\/05\/africom-recovered-hellfire-missile-lost-in-niger-drone-crash\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T03:15:34","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T03:15:34","slug":"africom-recovered-hellfire-missile-lost-in-niger-drone-crash","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/flashpoints\/2020\/03\/05\/africom-recovered-hellfire-missile-lost-in-niger-drone-crash\/","title":{"rendered":"AFRICOM recovered Hellfire missile lost in Niger drone crash"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

U.S. Africa Command says it recovered a Hellfire missile that was armed on an MQ-1 drone that crashed near Agadez, Niger<\/a>, on Feb. 29.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pictures of the alleged U.S. drone crash were making the rounds on social media Monday and included a picture of a man posing next to what appears to be a fully intact Hellfire missile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur initial and current assessment is that the RPA [remotely piloted aircraft] was lost due to mechanical failure. We do not believe the RPA was lost as a result of any hostile action,\u201d Navy Lt. Christina M. Gibson, a spokeswoman with U.S. Africa Command, told Military Times in an email Monday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AFRICOM<\/a> confirmed to Military Times that the missile had been recovered. The recovered Hellfire also confirms media reports that the U.S. is operating armed drones out of Niger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Hellfire is a roughly 100-pound air-to-ground laser-guided missile that has removed hundreds of terrorists from the battlefields across Africa and the Middle East. Its precision strike capabilities allow U.S. forces to minimize civilian and collateral damage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Agadez is the site of a new sprawling joint Niger and U.S. air base known as Nigerien Air Base 201. AFRICOM announced in November that the $110 million airfield was conducting intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations out of the base, and was housing armed drones and other aircraft that previously were operating out of Niger\u2019s capital, Niamey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AFRICOM said at the time the new base\u2019s location in central Niger was critical due to the geographic advantages it posed in warding off threats from violent extremist groups in the area.<\/p>\n\n\n