A leading U.S. maker of advanced military surveillance drones announced on Wednesday that it was willing to sell drones to Ukraine for $1, urging the U.S. government to approve the deal.
General Atomic Aeronautical Systems said it had been asking Washington for months to supply Ukraine with its powerful Gray Eagle and Reaper drones, which allow US forces to great effect in surveillance and targeted strikes in Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq and others used in conflict areas.
According to the company, drones, capable of longdistance travel at medium altitudes, are one of the most obvious forcebuilding technologies needed by Ukraine in its war against Russia.
The US military provided Ukraine with a number of small attack and surveillance drones, but none with the advanced technology and longrange capability of General Atomic’s drones.
CEO Linden Blue said the company has offered to train Ukrainian operators free of charge for the US and Ukrainian governments and is willing to donate two of its trainer aircraft, along with other equipment, for the symbolic price of $1. Ukraine or a third party would have to pay for equipping and transferring the planes and setting up the operation to get them over the battlefield, he stressed.
“The offer is an exceptional offer with no strings attached,” Blue said. “All that is required is US government approval. In our view, it is long overdue to equip the Ukrainian armed forces with the intelligence needed to win this war.”