A General Atomics MQ-1C Gray Eagle.(Photo Credit: U.S. Army)
The US wants to sell Ukraine four General Atomics MQ-1C Gray Eagle combat drones for battlefield use against Russia, Reuters reported on June 2, citing sources familiar with the plan.
One of the source, a US official, told the news agency that the administration of President Joe Biden intends to notify the Congress of the potential drone deal with Ukraine in the upcoming few days. A public announcement will be made after that.
The drone deal will be funded with money from the $40 billion Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative that was recently approved by the Congress.
Despite the ongoing preparations for the deal, a source told Reuters it could still be blocked by Congress. The source said that there is a risk of a “last minute policy reversal”.
The MQ-1C Gray Eagle is more capable than the Turkish-made Baykar Bayraktar TB2 currently in service with Kiev forces. The Gray Eagle has an endurance of more than 30 hours, while the TB2 can stay in the air for around 24 hours only.
The General Atomics-made combat drone can be also armed with up to eight AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, which have a range of up to eight kilometers and an eight kg warhead.
According to Reuters, the Gray Eagle drones which will be sold to Ukraine will be armed with Hellfire missiles. A US official told the news agency that this will be done via a future Presidential Drawdown Authority once training on the drones has been completed.
A General Atomics MQ-1C Gray Eagle armed with AGM-114 Hellfire missiles. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army)
Training on the Gray Eagle usually takes months. However, the US is hoping that the process can be done in weeks by training Ukrainian service members with experience in drone operation.
While the Gray Eagle is a very capable combat drone, it will not likely be effective in the face of the Russian military that has already shot down dozens of Ukrainian TB2 drones. The Gray Eagle is larger than the TB2, which could make its detection and interception even easier for Russian warplanes and air defense means. If used for combat missions over heated areas, the US-made drones will not likely survive for long in Ukraine.
The US has been stepping up its military support for Ukraine on the hopes of thwarting Russia’s ongoing special military operation in the country. Very recently, Washington announced that it will supply four M142 HIMARS [High Mobility Artillery Rocket System] launchers with guided rockets to Kiev forces.
