American senators call on the White House to provide Ukraine with “Gray Eagle” attack drones

Author:
Anna Kholodnova
Date:

On November 22, a group of American senators called on the Administration of the U.S. President Joe Biden to provide Ukraine with modern attack drones.

The Wall Street Journal writes about it.

In a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, 16 senators requested the transfer of long-range MQ-1C Gray Eagle attack drones to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

"The long-term benefit of providing Ukraine with the MQ-1C is significant and has the potential to change the strategic course of the war in Ukraineʼs favor," the lawmakers wrote.

Among the signatories are Senators Joni Ernst (Iowa), James Inhofe (Oklahoma), former Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Tim Kaine (Virginia), Joe Manchin (West Virginia) and Mark Kelly (Arizona).

According to lawmakers, Iranian-made drones gave the Russians an advantage on the battlefield. So the Ukrainians should get an arsenal from the U.S. to counter this.

According to the senators, Ukrainians will be able to learn to fly the MQ-1C within 27 days. If Ukraine had access to its own drones, it "could locate and attack Russian warships in the Black Sea, breaking the enforced blockade and easing twin pressures on the Ukrainian economy and world food prices," the lawmakers stated.

The Pentagon declined to comment on the letter, and U.S. officials said the reluctance to provide the drones was due to technical problems rather than fears of escalation. A spokesman for the manufacturing company General Atomics emphasized that the company is committed to supporting Ukraine, but also refused to comment on the letter.