US suspends sale of four attack drones to Ukraine
The US has suspended the sale of four MQ-1C Gray Eagle attack drones to Ukraine over fear that its sophisticated surveillance equipment could fall into the hands of Russia. This was reported by Reuters, citing sources. – Objections to the sale were raised during a deeper review by the Pentagon Defense Technology Security Administration, which is tasked with protecting high-value technologies from the enemy, the publication notes. < p>In particular, the United States fears that the radar and surveillance equipment on these drones could endanger the security of the United States if they fall into Russian hands. According to Reuters sources, this caveat was ignored during the initial checks, but the issue resurfaced at the Pentagon meetings late last week. Pentagon spokesman Sue Gough noted that such technology security checks “are standard practice for the transfer of US defense assets to all international partners.”< /p> Another U.S. official told Reuters on condition of anonymity that implementation of the agreement is still being considered among senior Pentagon officials, but and no decision is known. According to sources, one solution that would facilitate the transfer of these drones to Ukraine would be to replace existing radars and sensors with something less complex, but this could take months. Note that four General Atomics Gray Eagle drones were originally intended for the US Army. According to official documents, the MQ-1C Gray Eagle costs from $10 million per copy.
