David Axe reports:

The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden plans to offer to Ukraine the General Atomics MQ-1C Gray Eagle, the U.S. Army’s best unmanned aerial vehicle.

The possible forthcoming offer, which Reuters first reported, would be subject to approval by the U.S. Congress. But if the president follows through, lawmakers sign off on the deal and the White House can arrange financing—likely via the federal government’s fund for foreign weapons deals—Kyiv’s forces soon could operate one of the world’s best killer drones.

But the drone itself—a two-ton, propeller-driven vehicle with a 56-foot wingspan—isn’t the most exciting component of the possible deal for Ukraine. The four MQ-1Cs that the White House reportedly is offering comprise just one “orbit.”

Four drones are enough to keep one drone flying over a small area around the clock. One vehicle is on station. Another is getting ready to take its place. The third is undergoing light maintenance after returning from battle. The fourth might be in overhaul.

The likely nine-figure Gray Eagle deal would include more than just the drones. There’s also the ground control station where a drone’s two operators sit, plus data terminals for any ground forces who want access to the vehicle’s live video feed. The deal probably also would include the 100-pound Hellfire missiles that are the MQ-1C’s main armament. [Continue reading…]