US senators urge Biden to provide Ukraine with Gray Eagles drones

The Wall Street Journal reported on the situation.

In a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin dated Nov. 22, 16 senators requested the administration to provide Ukraine with MQ-1C armed drones, also known as Gray Eagles, which are medium-altitude drones capable of flying for more than 24 hours.

“The long-term upside of providing Ukraine with the MQ-1C is significant and has the potential to drive the strategic course of the war in Ukraine’s favor,” WSJ quotes the letter.

The senators noted that Ukrainian forces should have an arsenal to counter Iranian drones, which Russia uses to strike Ukrainian population centers and its civilian infrastructure. Gray Eagles should be provided for this purpose.

“This system’s operational attributes—availability, lethality, survivability, and exportability—complement existing weapon systems used by the Ukrainians,” the letter says.

Training Ukrainians on the MQ-1C would take only 27 days, the senators write.

For a long time, the Ukrainian side has been requesting the US to supply Gray Eagle MQ-1C multipurpose drones equipped with Hellire missiles. One drone can carry 4 such missiles and fly at an altitude of more than 8 kilometers for almost 30 hours. However, Washington repeatedly refused, explaining that the drone contains high-tech radio and intelligence equipment, which, in case Russia obtains it during hostilities, could pose a threat to the security of the United States.