The manufacturer of the MQ-9 Reaper, General Atomics confirmed yesterday they have made an offer to sell two of their Reaper drones to Ukraine for the price of one whole Dollar.
Now despite this offer being essentially free at first glance, there are still hurdles for the Ukrainian government if they want to get their hands on the drones and in the sky.
Firstly, General Atomics is still waiting on the green light from the Biden administration to transfer the drones over to Ukraine. Mainly, the United States is concerned with sensitive technologies falling into the wrong hands. The U.S. is also reluctant to give arms that would allow Ukraine to attack deep into Russia.
Another hurdle for the Ukrainian government is paying for the physical transfer and upkeep of the drones.
The Wall Street Journal pointed out that Ukraine would have to foot a bill of $10 million for the transfer of the Reapers and then $8 million every year to keep the drones maintained and in fighting shape.
Now even though the Biden administration still has to give the green light and millions have to be paid, the Ukrainian government has recently started vying again to get their hands on some Reaper drones.
The main appeals are the Reaper’s laser-guided munitions and long-range surveillance capability provided by its advanced optics and ability to fly for more than 1,000 miles.
