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© Wikimedia CommonsMQ-9 drone
For the second time in as many weeks, the U.S. Air Force lost a unmanned aerial vehicle, blaming mechanical problems once again.

AlertNet reports the MQ-9 drone crashed at Seychelles International Airport on Tuesday and the U.S. Embassy in Mauritius confirmed the news, saying: "A U.S. Air Force remote-piloted MQ-9 crashed at the Seychelles International Airport in Mahe. The MQ-9 was not armed and no injuries were reported."

The MQ-9, generally referred to as the Reaper, is capable of autonomous or controlled flight operations during its "hunter-killer" missions. The large drone flies at high-altitude for extended periods and can be laden with 1,000 pounds of ordnance and stay aloft for more than 14 hours.

The Reaper can carry GBU-12 Paveway II laser-guided bombs, the AGM-114 Hellfire II air-to-ground missiles, the AIM-9 Sidewinder, and recently, the GBU-38 JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition). And tests are underway to allow the Reaper to carry AIM-92 Stinger air-to-air missiles.

The Seychelles sit in the Indian Ocean southeast of Somalia