International Military - Ukraine does not seem to stop getting aid as long as Russia continues to invade its country. The reason is, now the US is even planning to send four armed drones MQ 1C Gray Eagle to Ukraine.
The Biden administration wants to notify Congress in the "coming days" followed by a public announcement, Reuters wrote, citing an unnamed official.
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As is well known, the Ukrainian armed forces used various unmanned aerial vehicles against the Russian military such as the armed Turkish Bayraktar TB2 and the unarmed AeroVironment (AVAV.O) RQ-20 Puma AE.
However, the Gray Eagle offers a leap in ability through its range, durability, and weapon payload. Quoted from The Defense Post, it can be armed with up to four AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-ground missiles capable of striking targets from a distance of 11 kilometers (7 miles).
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"Generally the MQ-1C is a much larger aircraft with a maximum take-off weight of about three times that of the Bayraktar TB2, with commensurate advantages in payload capacity, range and endurance," drone expert Dan Gettinger of the Vertical Flight Society told Reuters.
Quoted from 19fortyfive.com, the General Atomics Gray Eagle is derived from the Predator drone which is widely used by the Air Force and CIA. The Army selected an upgraded MQ-1 for its internal combat drone capabilities, which was first operationally deployed in Iraq in 2010.
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Actually the MQ-1C was quite problematic. In his early years, he showed weaknesses with regards to software. Not only that, the MQ-1C also failed to transmit data via satellite and radio links. However, it does include important advances.
This is because there is now an Automatic Take-off and Landing System (ATLS), which eliminates the need for a pilot in place dedicated to the task.