The sale to Ukraine of US President Joe Biden’s government of four advanced UAVs capable of carrying weapons has been suspended, at least temporarily, due to concerns that the advanced equipment they carry could fall into enemy hands, according to sources familiar with the matter. Reuters news.
The plan to sell four MQ-1C Gray Eagle unmanned aerial vehicles to Ukraine with Hellfire surface-to-air missiles was reported by Reuters earlier this month. The cost of each unit of this weapon system is about 10 million dollars.
The technical objection to the sale arose during a more thorough examination by the Pentagon, which is responsible for preventing key technology from falling into the hands of the enemy. The sale was originally approved by the White House.
It concerns the possibility of radar and surveillance equipment owned by UAVs falling into the hands of Russia. That risk had been downgraded in the initial review of the sale, but was again pressing again late last week.
The sale of the four UAVs, which were intended for the US military, is under consideration in the upper echelons of the Pentagon, but it is not clear when a decision will be made. One solution would be to replace radars and sensors with less sophisticated ones, but this could take months, according to one source.
If the sale is finally approved, the US Congress theoretically has the potential to block it, which is unlikely.
Source: Capital
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