U.S. Marines with Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron One prepare to launch a RQ-21 Blackjack UAS during Weapons and Tactics Instructors Course (WTI) 1-18 at Yuma, Ariz., on Oct. 13, 2017. Photo by Lance Cpl. Rhita Daniel / U.S. Marine Corps / UPI
July 31 (Asia Today) -- A U.S. Marine Corps drone that triggered an unidentified aircraft alert near South Korea's border Thursday flew before receiving final advance approval from the South Korean military, according to military officials.
Authorities are investigating whether the lapse resulted from an incomplete coordination request by the U.S. military or a breakdown in communication within the South Korean chain of command.
Residents south of the Civilian Control Line in northern Gyeonggi Province received emergency evacuation messages after the aircraft was detected at about 2:30 p.m.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said at 3:30 p.m. that an unidentified aircraft had been detected south of the General Outpost line and that military units responded under standard operational procedures.
