Norfolk, April 15 -- The United States has confirmed the loss of an MQ-4C Triton unmanned aerial vehicle, according to a recent mishap summary released by the United States Naval Safety Command.

The US high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) maritime aircraft reportedly crashed in the Persian Gulf, with officials now confirming the incident.

Under the classification system used by the United States Department of War, any incident involving damage exceeding USD 2.5 million is categorised as a Class A mishap. Media reports citing CBS estimate the value of the reconnaissance aircraft involved in the latest incident at around USD 240-250 million.

Initial reports suggested that Iranian forces had destroyed the drone during confrontations. Howe...