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Unmanned Systems

Idea of Providing MQ-1s and MQ-9 Reapers to Ukraine Raised

Frank Wolfe

Thursday, March 17th, 2022

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Idea of Providing MQ-1s and MQ-9 Reapers to Ukraine Raised

An MQ-9A Reaper assigned to the 556th Test and Evaluation Squadron sits on the ramp at Creech AFB, Nev. carrying eight Hellfire missiles in September, 2020 (U.S. Air Force Photo)

While the Pentagon and military analysts question the wisdom and the effectiveness of imposing a "no fly zone" over Ukraine or supplying that country with a small number of used MiG-29 fighters to help beat back the Russian invasion, the dean of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies has broached supplying Ukraine with General Atomics' MQ-1 Gray Eagles and MQ-9 Reapers and says that training Ukrainians in the use of the drones for strikes/reconnaissance and sustainment of the drones would…

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