Persian

A U.S. Navy MQ-4C Triton surveillance drone disappeared abruptly and unexpectedly from online flight tracking sites after declaring an in-flight emergency while flying over the Persian Gulf today. The uncrewed aircraft was also tracked rapidly losing altitude right beforehand, prompting widespread questions about its fate. This comes just two days after the United States and Iran agreed to a still very fragile ceasefire, which is heavily contingent on the reopening of the highly strategic Strait of Hormuz.

Online flight tracking data shows the MQ-4C had just completed a roughly three-hour-long flight over the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz and appeared to be returning to base at Naval Air Station Sigonella in Italy. The online tracking shows the Triton had just crossed into Saudi Arabian airspace before making a sudden turn to the northeast in the direction of Iran. Available data also shows the drone rapidly descended from a typical cruising altitude of around 50,000 feet down to below 10,000 feet.

The MQ-4C’s transponder was broadcasting (or “squawking”) the code 7700, which is a general declaration of an in-flight emergency, at the time. The code, by itself, does not offer any indication of what that the emergency might be or how serious the situation is. There are also unconfirmed reports that the Triton initially sent out another code, 7400, which is used to declare a loss of connectivity between a drone and its controllers on the ground.

The MQ-4C had otherwise been publicly visible online from the moment it left Naval Air Station Sigonella in Italy. Tritons have been flying sorties over the Middle East, as well as other locales, from Sigonella regularly since 2024.

As of 2025, the Navy had 20 of these drones in service in total, with plans to acquire seven more. The service received funding to purchase the final pair of drones in Fiscal Year 2024, at which time the estimated unit cost for each one was pegged at just over $238 million.

When reached for more information by TWZ, the office of the Chief of Information (CHINFO), the U.S. Navy’s main public affairs office, declined to comment. We have also reached out to the U.S. Navy’s regional commands in the Middle East and Europe, as well as U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).

At the time of writing, there does not appear to be any official comment about the MQ-4C from Iranian authorities.

The MQ-4C is a derivative of the RQ-4 Global Hawk surveillance drone optimized for long-duration overwater missions. The Navy actually operated a small number of RQ-4A drones in a service-specific configuration called the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance-Demonstrator (BAMS-D). When the program started in 2003, BAMS-D’s main task was to help pave the way for Triton’s arrival. However, the Navy ended up flying the drones operationally in the Middle East and out into the Indian Ocean for 13 years. Iran notably shot down a BAMS-D drone as it flew over the Gulf of Oman in 2019.

The Triton’s original sensor package was centered on an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar with surface search and synthetic aperture modes. A synthetic aperture radar (SAR) capability allows for the capturing of satellite-like images, day or night, in virtually any atmospheric conditions, which is not possible with optical sensors. The drones do also have electro-optical and infrared video cameras in a turret under the nose, as well as electronic support measures systems for collecting electronic intelligence passively.

More recently, the Navy has been working with prime contractor Northrop Grumman to expand the MQ-4C’s electronic and signals intelligence (ELINT/SIGINT) capabilities.

The drones can work in concert with P-8A Poseidon crewed maritime patrol planes, which have their own extensive sensors and networking suites, and carrier strike groups down below.

Tritons are likely to play an especially important role in monitoring activity in and around the Persian Gulf amid the current ceasefire with Iran. As noted, the safe transit of commercial ships in and out of the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz is a central factor in the continued stability of that arrangement. It is also expected to be a major topic of discussion in future diplomatic negotiations between the United States and Iran. So far, Iran is still severely throttling maritime traffic through this critical waterway.

LONDON, April 9 (Reuters) – Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned ships to keep to a route passing through its territorial waters when crossing the Gulf’s Strait of Hormuz as traffic on Thursday remained well below 10% of normal volumes.

— Idrees Ali (@idreesali114) April 9, 2026

As mentioned, MQ-4Cs have already been flying regular surveillance patrols in the region for years now. There were separate rumors of a Triton going down in the Gulf of Oman back on February 22. That also followed the disappearance of one of the drones from online flight tracking sites after squawking 7700. However, no rapid loss of altitude was recorded in that case.

A U.S. official subsequently told TWZ that reports of an MQ-4C loss on or about February 22 were “not true.” Open-source flight-tracking site Flightradar24 also posted a pointed statement on X on February 27 saying that they had tracked the Triton returning to a base in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The very next day, U.S. and Israeli forces launched their combined operation against Iran.

US official told me this morning those claims were “not true.”

— Howard Altman (@haltman) February 27, 2026

Flightradar24’s post on February 27 also highlighted general gaps in tracking coverage in the region. Deliberate GPS jamming and other types of electronic interference are also common in the region, and even more so in the context of the latest conflict with Iran.

As noted, Iran has demonstrated an ability to target higher-flying U.S. drones in the past with the shootdown of the BAMS-D. That incident prompted significant questions about the survivability of Global Hawk and its derivatives, though these drones were never designed for missions into contested territory.

Smoke Trail From Shot Down Global Hawk

After some five weeks of U.S. and Israeli strikes, Iran’s air defense capabilities have been substantially degraded, but they do still present real threats, at least in certain envelopes. That being said, to be clear, there are no hard indications whatsoever that hostile fire was in any way a factor in whatever happened to the MQ-4C flying over the Persian Gulf today. The status of that drone, in general, remains unknown.

Still, incidents like this are likely to continue to draw immense attention, at least for the immediate future, amid the shaky ceasefire between the United States and Iran. That arrangement is currently set to remain in place for two weeks, and there is great uncertainty about what may happen afterward. Negotiations about a more lasting end to the recent hostilities are set to begin in Pakistan this weekend.

We will continue to provide more details about the fate of the MQ-4C if and when they become available.

Contact the author: joe@twz.com

Iranians are shopping for essentials to celebrate the beginning of the Persian New Year, Nowruz, despite the threats of deadly US-Israeli attacks.

March 19 (UPI) — Iran on Thursday attacked major energy facilities in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates after vowing to retaliate for Israel striking its gas field a day earlier, escalating a war that is driving up energy prices and rattling global markets.

Qatar said Iranian ballistic missiles struck its Ras Laffan Industrial City, the centerpiece of the nation’s LNG production and export, while the United Arab Emirates said its Habshan gas facilities and Bab field had come under attack.

Several liquefied natural gas facilities at the Ras Laffan Industrial City, which is responsible for about one-fifth of global LNG supplies, were struck early Thursday, igniting what state-owned QatarEnergy said in a statement were “sizeable fires.” Extensive damage was reported.

Two of three fires that ignited from the attack were contained as of 5 a.m. local time Thursday, according to a statement from Qatar’s Ministry of the Interior.

Iran attacked the complex’s Pearl gas-to-liquids facility late Wednesday, which was dealt “extensive damage” and prompted emergency teams to be deployed to the site.

Rockets launched at the UAE facilities were successfully intercepted, but falling debris prompted Abu Dhabi authorities to respond to unspecified incidents at the Habshan gas facilities and the Bab gas field, the Abu Dhabi Media Office said in a statement.

The facilities have been shut down in response, it said, adding that no casualties were reported.

Iran also targeted gas facilities in eastern Saudi Arabia, but all projectiles and drones were intercepted, its Ministry of Defense said in a statement.

The attacks mark an escalation in the war, and come after Israel attacked Iran’s South Pars gas field, one of the world’s largest resources of natural gas.

Israel’s attack was condemned by several countries, including Qatar. Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari said it was “a dangerous & irresponsible step amid the current military escalation in the region.”

“Targeting energy infrastructure constitutes a threat to global energy security, as well as to the peoples of the region & its environment,” he said in a statement.

Following Iran’s attack on Wednesday night, Qatar gave Tehran’s embassy officials 24 hours to leave the country.

The targeting of Persian Gulf energy facilities is expected to further drive surging energy costs. On Thursday, Brent crude reached nearly $110 a barrel, up sharply from $71 before the war began in late February.

Iran had vowed to attack the region’s energy facilities after Israel attacked its South Pars gas field.

Oil facilities “associated with America are now on par with American bases and will come under fire with full force,” Alireza Tangsiri, chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Navy, said on X.

“You have heard a lot about #hell; we will paint its picture for you,” the IRGC said Thursday in a social media statement.

“Stay away from energy facilities…”

Following the attacks, U.S. President Donald Trump said on his Truth Social platform that there would be no more Israeli attacks on the South Pars field.

Trump claimed the United States “knew nothing” about Israel’s plan to attack the gas site and that Qatar was also neither involved.

He said Iran was unaware of that, but warned that if it again attacks Qatar, the United States will join Israel and “massively blow up the entirety of the South Pars gas field at an amount of strength and power that Iran has never seen or witnessed before.”

A crowd celebrating Chaharshanbe Suri in Tehran were forced to flee after gunshots disrupted their event. Iranian security forces have reportedly been breaking up gatherings marking the Persian festival this week.

An Australian E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control plane is headed for the Persian Gulf. This comes as Gulf Arab states continue to be subjected to Iran’s attacks in retaliation for ongoing U.S. and Israeli strikes. The E-7A is arguably the best airborne look-down sensor platform in the world at present, and will provide a particularly important boost in capability for spotting low-flying Iranian kamikaze drones and cruise missiles.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the impending deployment of the E-7A to the Middle East at a press conference yesterday. The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) currently operates a fleet of six Wedgetails.

“Twelve countries across the region, from Cyprus through to the Gulf are continuing to be targeted. The United Arab Emirates alone has been forced to shoot down over 1,500 rockets and drones,” Albanese said. “This growing wave of dangerous and destabilising attacks from Iran puts civilian lives at risk, of course including Australian lives, of which there are more than 20,000 people based in the UAE.”

“In responding to requests, following a conversation that I had with the President [of the UAE,] Mohammed bin Zayed [Al Nahyan; also Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi], and other requests, Australia will deploy an E-7A Wedgetail, to the Gulf to help protect and defend Australians and other civilians,” Albanese continued. “The Wedgetail will provide long-range reconnaissance capability, which will help to protect and secure the airspace above the Gulf. The Wedgetail and supporting Australian Defence Force personnel will be deployed for an initial four weeks in support of the collective self-defense of Gulf nations.”

The E-7A is based on the Boeing 737-700 Next Generation airliner airframe. Its most prominent feature is the Northrop Grumman Multi-role Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) sensor installed on top of the fuselage, which offers 360-degree coverage and can scan for aerial and maritime threats. It also has an extensive suite of communications and data-sharing capabilities, backed by modern processing power, allowing for the rapid exchange of information with other friendly assets in the air and in other domains. You can read more about the aircraft here.

Northrop Grumman MESA Radar – Boeing E-7 AEWC

“As the Prime Minister has said at the request of the UAE, we will be deploying an E-7 Wedgetail to the Gulf. This is one of the leading capabilities in the world in terms of airborne long-range reconnaissance and command. And we are one of the leading nations in the use of the E-7,” Richard Marles, Deputy Prime Minister of Australia and the country’s Minister for Defense, also said at the press conference yesterday. “There will be in the order of 85 personnel who will go with this airframe and that’s the normal crew. The airframe will be leaving Australia today and the expectation is that it will be in the region in the middle of the week and operational by the end of the week.”

Albanese and Marles also said the Australian government planned to send a tranche of AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) to the UAE. In addition to ground-based air defense, Emirati fighters have been working to intercept incoming Iranian threats.

As noted, the biggest boost in capability the RAAF’s E-7A will bring to the Gulf is its look-down sensor capability. From the aircraft’s high perch, the MESA sensor has an excellent field of view to spot low and slow-flying targets, even if they are relatively small. Wedgetail would also be able to see threats as far out into the Persian Gulf, or even possibly beyond.

So much garbage being passed around here in long jargon filled threads that sound like AI about E-7 Wedgetail and the potential RAAF deployment to the Middle East. Here is all you need to know:

it’s arguably the best low flying drone and CM detection sensor on earth.

That’s… pic.twitter.com/TRuBrmQzSC

— Tyler Rogoway (@Aviation_Intel) March 10, 2026

Having another eye in the sky to provide additional alerts about incoming threats and more overall situational awareness will be a boon for defenders in the air and on the ground, in general. The E-7A can also be refueled in flight, meaning it can stay on station longer.

The UAE, which is the clear focus of the Australian deployment, does have a fleet of 5 Saab GlobalEye airborne early warning and control aircraft, but the extent to which they are operating now is unknown. While a modern and capable design, GlobalEye does not provide the same level of coverage and capability as the E-7A, and is also based on the smaller Bombardier Global 6000 business jet, which cannot refuel in flight.

GlobalEye on operational mission

There is more airborne warning and control coverage elsewhere in the Gulf, including six U.S. Air Force E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft forward-deployed to Saudi Arabia just ahead of the current conflict with Iran. Saudi Arabia has its own E-3s and GlobalEye jets. How effective the aging Cold War-era E-3, in particular, is at this point at spotting and tracking low-flying kamikaze drones is unclear. In general, the E-7’s active electronically-scanned array MESA sensor offers clear advantages over the Sentry’s older radar, especially when it comes to smaller, slower, and lower-flying targets.

For years now, the U.S. E-3 fleet, overall, has struggled with readiness issues, which you can read more about here. As an aside, the strain on the E-3 fleet, now magnified by the current conflict, together with Australia’s deployment of an E-7 to the region, makes the Pentagon’s attempt last year to cancel the U.S. Air Force’s Wedgetail program seem even more bizarrely short-sighted.

In speaking yesterday, Australia’s Marles drew a comparison between sending the E-7A to the Middle East now and the past deployment of a Wedgetail to Poland to provide coverage along that country’s border with Ukraine. However, that mission was ostensibly focused on watching for threats to cross-border transfers of aid to the government in Kyiv.

The need for E-7A in the Gulf now is substantially more pressing.

Since the current conflict began, the UAE has been providing particularly granular data about incoming Iranian missile and drone attacks, as well as interception rates, offering a good sense of the current threat ecosystem in the Gulf. As of the last official tally from the UAE’s Ministry of Defense, the country’s forces have intercepted 1,385 kamikaze drones, 241 ballistic missiles, and eight cruise missiles since February 28.

Still, UAE authorities say that 90 kamikaze drones and 19 ballistic missiles have been able to reach the ground, causing casualties, as well as damage to military facilities and civilian infrastructure. All of this is broadly reflective of the experience of other Gulf Arab states that have been subjected to attacks from Iran over the past 11 days.

Overall, Iranian retaliatory attacks have notably slowed in recent days across the region, but they have not stopped. Based on its own data, the UAE saw a notably high number of Iranian drones get past its defenses yesterday. This comes amid persistent media reports of concerns among several Gulf Arab states, as well as the U.S. military, about the dwindling stockpile of anti-air interceptors and what has turned into a war of attrition with Iran. Publicly, American and regional authorities have pushed back on this reporting. At the same time, Australia’s plan to rush AIM-120s to the UAE is certainly evidence of demand for additional munitions.

Reasonable to ask what the raw numbers for ballistic missile and drone attempts vs. hits are, which are plotted in these figures. Again, all figures are from UAE MOD. pic.twitter.com/dhj86h6DbD

— Christopher Clary (@clary_co) March 10, 2026

There is also a question of where the Australian E-7A will be based and what threats there might be as a result to the aircraft, aircrew, and the rest of the 85-person contingent. Albanese and Marles do not appear to have explicitly said where the jet will be flying from to provide coverage over the UAE and other parts of the Gulf region.

With Iran showing no intention of halting its drone and missile attacks across the Gulf, Australia’s E-7A Wedgetail, wherever it might be stationed, looks set to bring immensely valuable added look-down surveillance coverage to the region.

Contact the author: joe@twz.com