Ukraine can already come up with small drones in the Russian war of aggression. Now a real heavyweight of unmanned aerial vehicles could soon be added. According to a report, the US wants to deliver “Gray Eagle” drones – which are equipped with significantly more firepower.
The Ukrainian army may have a new useful weapon in the fight against the Russian invasion in the future. According to a report by the Reuters news agency, the US government plans to sell four MQ-1C “Gray Eagle” weaponized drones to Ukraine. The agency relies on three people familiar with the situation. The UAV can be equipped with up to eight Hellfire missiles.
Sales of the drones made by General Atomics could still be blocked by Congress, the sources said. There is also a risk of a last-minute policy U-turn as the plan has been under review at the Pentagon for several weeks. Ukraine had already requested the drones at the end of April. President Joe Biden’s administration plans to brief Congress on the potential sale to Ukraine in the coming days.
Ukraine has used several types of smaller, shorter-range drones against Russian forces and for reconnaissance. These include AeroVironment’s RQ-20 Puma AE and Turkey’s Bayraktar-TB2. Also from AeroVironment and in service in Ukraine is the “Switchblade” drone, which is equipped with a warhead and can take out enemy targets.
However, the Gray Eagle drone represents a major leap in technology, as it can fly 30 hours or more and collect massive amounts of data for reconnaissance purposes. It is a further development of the “Predator” drone, which is also used by the US Army. In Ukraine, the Gray Eagle drone would be the first advanced US reusable system deployed on the battlefield against Russia.
As far as ammunition is concerned, the MQ-1C “Gray Eagle” is significantly more variable than the Bayraktar-TB2. The Ukrainian Bayraktars are armed with 22-kilogram Turkish-made MAM-L missiles, which are about half the weight of a Hellfire missile.
Training on the drone system, made by General Atomics, typically takes months, drone expert Dan Gettinger told Reuters. According to Reuters sources, however, there is already a plan to train experienced Ukrainian drone pilots in just a few weeks.
The United States recently announced that it would deliver HIMARS multiple rocket launchers to Ukraine after initial hesitation. However, US President Biden called on Kyiv not to use these weapons for attacks on Russian territory. The Kremlin immediately condemned the announcement of the US arms delivery.
