The United States plans to modify the Gray Eagle MQ-1C multi-purpose drone armed with Hellfire missiles for further transfer to Ukraine. Previously, the United States refused to include drones in the arms assistance package, as they feared that the technology would fall into the possession of the Russians.
The fact that the United States has changed its mind, reports CNN, citing two officials, one of the sources is a representative of Congress. The changes will make the potential loss of any drone – with their sensitive airborne technology – a non-issue for the US military.
"It's the specific technical tweaks and 'sterilization' that could make transfer possible in the near future," a congressional spokesman said. “But these procedures take time and are quite complex.” According to the source, the modification work is led by the US Army.
The issue of transferring the Gray Eagle MQ-1C to Ukraine was repeatedly raised and also repeatedly blocked by the US authorities. In June, Reuters, citing sources, wrote that the US presidential administration was going to sell four MQ-1C Gray Eagle drones to Ukraine, but the Pentagon prevented this. In addition to fears that the technology will fall into the hands of the Russians, the US authorities are also stopped by the unwillingness to escalate the conflict with the Russian Federation.
The cost of each such drone is $ 10 million. The Gray Eagle MQ-1C can carry four Hellfire missiles, fly at an altitude of 7620 m for almost 30 hours. The drones will allow Ukrainian forces to better gather intelligence from a distance, assist with artillery guidance on the ground, and fight Russian-controlled drones.
As with the Gray Eagle, the US has also so far refused to transfer ATAMCS long-range missiles with a range of about 300 km to Ukraine. The reason is the fear that Ukrainian troops will begin to hit directly on Russian territory. At the same time, as CNN notes, Ukraine offered the United States a plan with a list of targets, but ATAMCS is still not handed over to it, fearing an escalation of the conflict with the Russian Federation.