The executive director of the American company General Atomics, Linden Blue, offered the Ukrainian authorities to buy two MQ-9 Reaper reconnaissance and attack drones for a symbolic one dollar, but with significant “some additional costs”.
This is written by The Wall Street Journal, which has a copy of the corresponding letter to the military attache of Ukraine in Washington.
Blue offered advanced drones to defend against the coming new offensive by the Russians. The deal will require Kyiv to spend nearly $10 million to deliver the Reaper to Ukraine and about $8 million a year for maintenance.
A representative of General Atomics said in a comment that the company has been discussing the needs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces with its government for many months and is ready to provide any possible support, but could not comment on specific agreements.
Representatives of the Ukrainian and American authorities did not respond to journalistsʼ inquiries.
- The MQ-9 Reaper is a strike-reconnaissance drone capable of flying 1,900 km at a speed of over 300 km/h. It can rise to 15 km and be in the air for up to 28 hours. This drone is armed with high-precision missiles.
- Last year, Politico wrote that the US Air Force wants to hand over the Reaper to Ukraine, but the Pentagon fears that if it is lost, advanced technology will fall into the hands of enemies.