US Returns Expensive MQ-4C Triton Surveillance Drone to Middle East After Weeklong Absence

The US military has redeployed the MQ-4C Triton surveillance drone to the Middle East after it was absent from the region for a week due to concerns it might be shot down. The MQ-4C Triton is one of the US Navy's most costly intelligence-gathering assets, valued at approximately $200 million per unit. This unmanned aerial vehicle is specially designed for intelligence collection over seas and oceans. Its return to the area could signal preparations by the US for an expanded scope of military operations in the region.