Ukraine asks the US for MQ-9 Reaper drones

Ukraine has put the US-made MQ-9 Reaper drone at the top of its list of preferred weapons.

Here's What We Know

Previously, Kyiv was considering the possibility of obtaining an MQ-9 Reaper drone from General Atomics to support its operational and reconnaissance operations. However, due to fear of the possible consequences of losing the UAV, Washington refused to provide this type of drone.

However, the situation has now changed, as Ukraine has assured the US that the Reaper will be used exclusively for intelligence purposes. In particular, to identify Russian targets behind the front line, reducing the risk of its being shot down or captured by the enemy.

If Washington agrees, it is likely to remove heavy payloads from the UAVs, such as air-to-ground Hellfire missiles.

It should be noted that the MQ-9 Reaper is considered one of the most powerful drones in the US Army. It has a long endurance in the air of approximately 25 hours and is equipped with Raytheon's multispectral targeting system, which provides real-time reconnaissance and tracking. Although the drone has complex technical specifications, a Russian Su-27 fighter jet managed to shoot down an MQ-9 Reaper over the Black Sea last year.

Source: Politico