Combat drones have become a panacea for the Ukrainian military against Russia, especially with the Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2. But if it is true that the United States will send one of its scariest drones, the Bayraktar TB2 is considered a toy by comparison.
In a recent update, Ukraine's ambassador to the United States, Oksana Markarova, told the Washington Post that she had met with drone manufacturer General Atomics to discuss the possibility of their drones being serviced for Ukraine.
General Atomics is the manufacturer of the Predator combat drone and its powerful successor, the Reaper. The two drones are the mainstay of the United States in the various battles it fights.
"We discussed with General Atomics about the prospects for increasing the capacity of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and also about the current conditions in Ukraine," he said, as quoted by us from Eurasiantimes, Tuesday (19/4/2022).
It's not stated whether he enlisted the help of the Predator and Reaper drones, but that could be the case. A spokesman for General Atomic, Mark Brinkley, said that such a shipment would of course have to get permission from the US government.
"We have a plane available now for immediate delivery. With the support of the US government, it could be in Ukrainian hands in a matter of days," he said.
If it is true that Ukraine gets the drone, it will be very helpful for them. The Reaper drone, for example, can carry a load of up to 1.7 tons, 10 times that of the Bayraktar TB2.
Controlled by the pilot remotely, the MQ-9 Reaper can fly up to about 400 kilometers per hour and can strike at any location and show its footage. Of course, this drone can also carry out reconnaissance missions.
The Reaper, which costs $64 million to manufacture one unit, can carry up to 4 high-explosive, laser-guided Hellfire missiles. This drone flight makes almost no sound so that the target of the attack does not notice it.
The Reaper can fly for up to 30 hours, but drops to 23 hours if fully armed. The Reaper is equipped with an advanced sensor and radar system. The MTS-B (Multi-Spectral Targeting System) system, for example, can track fast-moving targets.
The Reaper drone can fly to an altitude of 15 kilometers making it ideal for reconnaissance and supporting soldiers below. Introduced in May 2007, the Reaper drone has been used by America in Afghanistan, Iraq and Africa.
In early 2020, the Commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, Major General Qasem Soleimani, was killed in a missile attack fired by a Reaper drone.
That time, the MQ-9 Reaper launched a laser-guided Hellfire missile, aiming precisely and destroying Soleimani's convoy. It is known that the MQ-9 Reaper, among others, was flown from the US Central Command headquarters located in Qatar.