A US weapons maker is offering Ukraine a pair of deadly combat drones for $1, ‘no strings attached,’ but it’s not that simple – By Jake Epstein (Business Insider) / Feb 2, 2023
- US weapons maker General Atomics offered two lethal drones for Ukraine for just $1.
- The price is symbolic, the company said, adding that it would also provide training.
- But the transfer would need approval from the US government, and still cost millions in other fees.
A leading US weapons maker has offered to send a pair of deadly combat drones to Ukraine for a “symbolic” price of one dollar, without any strings attached, but this proposal is more complicated than it appears.
The Biden administration, which has so far been reluctant to send larger and more advanced drones, would need to authorize the transfer, and even if it was approved, the plan would still cost millions of dollars in delivery and maintenance fees.
Linden Blue, the CEO of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, wrote in a Wednesday statement that the company recently offered to send Ukraine two lethal drones used for training purposes. In addition to these unmanned combat aerial vehicles, the defense contractor said that it would also provide training for Ukrainian operators and a ground control station — all for just $1.
General Atomics did not specify which drones it plans to provide Ukraine. It did say, however, that since the start of Russia’s large-scale invasion nearly a year ago, two options that it has considered include the MQ-9 Reaper and MQ-1C Gray Eagle, both of which are proven systems that have combat and surveillance capabilities, a 27-hour endurance, and can be armed with Hellfire missiles.
