The Biden administration has unveiled several fresh forms of military aid for Ukraine as Russian troops in the country's south retreat. However, none of the supplies included what Ukraine's military has long sought: the multipurpose Gray Eagle drone packed with Hellfire missiles.
According to two sources, the US has been looking at changes that may be made to the lethal drone. Modifications that would make the risk of losing any - with their sensitive onboard electronics - less of a danger and maybe improve the chance of Ukraine acquiring them, as per a report from CNN.
An official in Congress stated, there are particular and highly technical "tweaks and neutering that can be done" to Gray Eagle drone that may make it conceivable in the nearer term." However, he added that the procedures are difficult and time-consuming.
One US official acknowledged that the Army is driving the efforts to explore what improvements are feasible to the drone, which is built by General Atomics and referred to in the Army as the MQ-1C.
No Green Light on Gray Eagle Drones Yet
"When you're talking drones, this is about as good as you can get," says Seth Jones, the head of the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He noted that such drones are advanced.
The Gray Eagle drone, which can carry four Hellfire missiles and fly at 25,000 feet for over 30 hours, is unlikely to be on future lists of military supplies supplied to Ukraine unless modifications are made.
"There's still interest" in delivering this system, assuming the required modifications will be made, a US official remarked.
Discussions regarding the Gray Eagle are ongoing and it has not been ruled out or officially rejected by Ukraine, the US official and a Ukrainian official said. The Wall Street Journal earlier reported that the Pentagon had refused Ukraine's request.
To coordinate shootdowns across the platform, Kyiv has so far depended on a combination of Soviet-era technology and weaponry sent by Western partners. This has left unprotected civilian buildings since Kyiv lacks a comprehensive system of air defenses.
In the early days of the invasion, Ukraine sought the MQ-1C Gray Eagle system to utilize Hellfire missiles to knock down Russian planes and cruise missiles, Reuters reported.
According to reports, however, the Pentagon initially rejected the scheme because American officials were concerned that the Russians may seize the Gray Eagle drone and acquire the technology.
Last week, defense officials reportedly briefed senators secretly on the decision, using similar reasoning and emphasizing that Russia may regard the drones as a provocation in the Russia-Ukraine war.
Iran Drones Won't Help Russia Win
As for other news, the Iranian government has acknowledged supplying deadly drones to Russia after months of denials, but they claimed it occurred before Russia Ukraine war started in late February.
US Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley disputed the time allegations made by Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, who acknowledged the drone shipments publicly over the weekend, according to CNBC.
On Twitter, Malley claimed that Iran had sent more drones than promised before the conflict. They've shipped dozens of them across since the summer, and there are troops stationed in Russian-occupied Ukraine to assist in their usage against locals.
For his part, Amirabdollahian warned that if it is confirmed to us that Russia has employed Iranian drones in the Ukraine war, Iran "will not be indifferent to it."
Iran's drones have done a lot of damage to civilian areas and important energy infrastructure in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Russia's bombing seems to be trying to make parts of the country unlivable as winter approaches. The drones also helped Moscow out when it was low on more sophisticated weapons like guided missiles in the Russia-Ukraine war.
As a result of Iran selling drones to Russia, the US and EU have sanctioned several individuals and organizations there, and Kyiv has reduced its diplomatic relations with Tehran.
