The MQ-9 will have adequate range to strike well into Russia and all the way to Moscow.
 |
| MQ-9 Reaper |
Ukrainian authorities met with representatives from General Atomics, a California-based firm, last week in Washington. While the US government must approve such such deal, the magazine is sure to point out that the discussions with General Atomics had conducted with the administration of Vice President Joe Biden's "green light."
According to K. Mark Brinkley, a spokesperson for the business, with the assistance of the United States government, these drones might be in the hands of Ukrainian military pilots within a matter of days.
Despite the fact that the developer did not indicate which type of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was of interest to Ukraine, the journal thinks that it is most likely the time-tested Reaper.
The MQ-9 Reaper is a modular unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) used by the US Army for surveillance and striking missions. It is powered by a turboprop engine, which allows it to reach speeds of more than 400 km/h.
There are six suspension points on the drone. It has the capability of carrying up to four air-to-ground missiles, or up to eight in the MQ-9A upgrade, or up to four Hellfire missiles and two Mark 82 laser-guided bombs, depending on the configuration.
Experts feel that the MQ-9 has the potential to significantly alter the trajectory of the conflict. Experts believe that the MQ-9 is more robust in flight than the Bayraktar and is less susceptible to Russian fire than the Bayraktar.
"Because the Turkish drone must operate so close to the front line, it is more exposed to air and missile attacks from Russian airfields," says the author. The MQ-9, on the other hand, has a long range from safer bases. And it is the Reaper's reachability that has the potential to be critical," according to the document.
The MQ-9 will have sufficient range to hit Russian military sites inside Russia itself, including but not limited to Moscow itself, if necessary.
Even though such drones take a year of military training to operate, General Atomics is confident in their ability to educate Ukrainian fighters how to operate them in a short period of time.