The American weapons maker General Atomics is offering to sell Ukraine two of its MQ-9 Reaper drone for only one dollar, a move that will put pressure on the Biden administration to approve the deal, which would mark another major escalation of military aid.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Ukraine would still have to pay $10 million to prepare and ship the drones and $8 million each year to maintain them. The offer would also include a ground control center for the drones. The ground control center and maintenance support mean American contractors would likely be sent to Ukraine under the deal.
The US has supplied Ukraine with much smaller drones, but nothing as sophisticated as the Reaper, which can be armed with powerful missiles. The Reaper could also fly up to 24 hours, giving it a huge range, and is often used in US drone strikes in the Middle East and in Africa.
The offer was made by General Atomics CEO Linden Blue to Ukraine’s defense attaché at its embassy in Washington. When asked for a comment by the Journal, the company declined to comment on the details but said it’s been in discussions with the Ukrainian government.
“General Atomics has been discussing the requirements of the Ukrainian armed forces with their government for many months, and remains committed to supporting them in any way possible,” a spokesman for General Atomics said.
General Atomics has been pushing for the US to send Ukraine its MQ-1C Gray Eagle drone, which has similar capabilities to the Reapers. So far, the Biden administration has declined to send Gray Eagles over concerns the sensitive technology in components of the drones could end up in Russia’s hands.
But reports in November said the US was considering modifying the Gray Eagle drone so it would have less advanced technology, and Congress has put pressure on the Biden administration to give them to Ukraine. The administration has also shown its willingness to send weapons it previously ruled out, such as M1 Abrams tanks, even though providing such aid brings the US and Russia closer to a direct clash.
This reads like a twisted joke.
Agreed. I looked up this CEO who’s trying to get us all nuked: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linden_Blue He’s 87 years old. It seems evil never sleeps and never dies.
And that’s exactly why we will see a WW3. Too many generational groups are alive and wrecking havoc on earth.
Russia Offers Ukraine to Buy 31 M1A2 Abrams Tanks for One Dollar
“General Atomics Offers to Sell Ukraine Two Reaper Drones for One Dollar The offer will put pressure on the Biden administration to OK the sale, which would mark another major escalation of military aid”
Why not: General Atomics will just place the cost in another contract that the American taxpayers are stuck footing the bill for.
Ukraine has become a dumping ground for obsolete and old military equipment.
“The Air Force says the MQ-9 Reaper won’t survive a hot war, but airpower experts argue the drone is still extremely useful”
One of the latest Russian SAM systems can make quick work of any drone or missile.
The Pantsir-S1M can now even shoot down US-supplied HIMARS missiles.
“The Pantsir-S1M system uses a new 57E6M-E surface-to-air missile with an increased ceiling from 15 to 18 km (9.3 to 11.2 mi), an engagement range from 20 to 30 km (12 to 19 mi) and a speed of 1,300 to 1,700 m/s (4,700 to 6,100 km/h; 2,900 to 3,800 mph).”
The delusional Americans and NATO have been locked in counterinsurgency wars from Vietnam to Libya to Syria to Iraq and Afghanistan. America has not fought an industrial land war against a first world nation in Europe since 1945. The knowledge of how to fight strategically and tactically in this European industrial land war has passed away with “The Greatest Generation”.
The Reaper is slow and easily shot out of the sky by even the oldest Russian Surface to Air Missiles – SAMs. The Reaper is only valuable when raining bombs on aboriginal or tribal people with no means of defense.
If US-supplied HIMARS missiles are vulnerable to the Pantsir-S1M system then drones and F-16s or any other Russian or Western fighter jet would find the Russian network-centric air defense system; with multiple launchers of 9K317M ‘Buk-M3, S300, S400, and Pantsir SM plus guns, a down right deadly arena to operate in.
Never trust a US arms-maker bearing a gift.
I was surprised that there really is a company called “General Atomics”, I thought that was the joke company with the same name in Fallout. Maybe one day Lockheed and Raytheon will achieve “West-Tek” levels as well
Maybe even Yoyodyne!
The creators in Bethesda modeled their games based on seeing our future.
“According to the Wall Street Journal, Ukraine would still have to pay $10 million to prepare and ship the drones and $8 million each year to maintain them.” That is funny right there. That money will come out of the money we have sent Ukraine. Hilarious.
Just silly. CEO of General Atomics is trying to look supportive. But he comes off as a used car salesman-level weasel.
“I’ll give you the drones for free, but you have to pay 10 million for prep and delivery, and eight million for maintenance … please pay up front.”
Riiiiight!
These drones are not stealthy. They have a very substantial radar cross section and will be shot down the instant they appear in Ukrainian airspace.
They also need bases to operate from. If those bases are in Ukraine they’ll be obliterated immediately. (… along with their American operators … I don’t think so.) Where are those bases to be located then? Germany? I don’t think so. If those bases are in Romania or Poland … well, it’s not likely the Romanians or Poles will be agreeable to that arrangement.
It’s all just PR from General Atomics