Ukraine can get American MQ-9 Reaper drones, which can change the balance of power in the war
According to Forbes, Ukraine is negotiating the purchase of heavy strike drones MQ-9 Reaper, which could change the balance in the Russian-Ukrainian war. The MQ-9 Reaper is the US Air Force’s main reconnaissance and strike UAV.
Ukrainian officials met in Washington with representatives of General Atomics, the company that makes the drone. Although the US government should approve the sale of such UAVs, it is unlikely that negotiations between Ukraine and the US defense contractor took place without the consent of the Biden administration. According to General Atomics spokesman Mark Brinkley, with the support of the US government, these UAVs could be in the hands of the Ukrainian military ‘in a matter of days’ and pilots will be able to quickly learn to fly them.
MQ-9 Reaper can radically change the course of hostilities in Ukraine, where drones have become one of the most effective weapons against Russian armored columns. Currently, the Armed Forces are successfully using TB-2 Bayraktar. Equipped with laser-guided missiles, the Bayraktars destroyed a large number of Russian tanks, artillery, and anti-aircraft systems. However, the MQ-9 Reaper is in many ways superior to the Turkish drone, and can be used even more effectively to destroy Russia’s occupying forces.
Let’s start with the fact that the MQ-9 Reaper is larger than the TB-2 Bayraktar, has a longer range, flies higher and faster and can carry a more deadly payload. The main characteristics of the two UAVs are presented in the table.
Note that the MQ-9 Reaper has an ER version (extended range) with extended range to 2575 km. Thus, the American drone can be used from the deep Ukrainian rear. It is also possible to strike them at the rear of Russian troops or use it to reconnoiter the enemy’s rear. If necessary, he can fly to Moscow.
However, there are a couple of spoons of tar. So far, the MQ-9 Reaper has been used in military conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, where the enemy did not have serious air defense. Russia’s supersonic jet fighters and air defenses could be a problem for low-speed drones.
It should also be noted that the MQ-9 Reaper is much more expensive than the TB-2 Bayraktar. However, if the United States agrees to pay for the supply of General Atomics UAVs, it will significantly strengthen the Ukrainian army, and the Armed Forces will more easily send occupiers’ equipment to meet a Russian warship that has already reached its goal.
