A bipartisan group of 17 members of Congress are urging Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to provide advanced drones to Ukraine, saying the technology could be key to giving Kyiv a battlefield advantage.
In a letter dated Wednesday and reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, the group told Mr. Austin that it was time to complete a security review of advanced drones requested by Ukraine “to better hold the territory they fought so hard to reclaim.”
The Biden administration has been loath to provide the advanced drones for fear of escalation with Russia but also because of sensitive technology, including a camera that feeds intelligence data to the ground that officials fear could fall into the wrong hands if the aircraft was shot down.
The Pentagon declined to comment about the letter.
Gray Eagles can fly for more than a day, travel hundreds of miles, give fighters a swath of real-time intelligence, such as where Russian forces are positioned, and fire Hellfire missiles. The Ukrainians have requested drones since the earliest days of the war.
During a September Pentagon briefing, defense officials said the U.S. was considering “survivability of the platform in the contested environment in Ukraine” during its deliberations over whether to send them.
“These advanced [unmanned aerial systems], which could be staged far away from the war’s front lines, would provide the continuous surveillance and long range precision tracking and targeting needed to counter Russian rockets and missiles,” the letter said.
But there continue to be delays in delivering the Gray Eagle systems to Ukraine, the letter said, despite requests from Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov and the country’s ambassador to the U.S., Oksana Markarova.
“While important, thorough risk assessments and mitigation should not come at the expense of Ukrainian lives,” the letter read.
General Atomics, which produces the Gray Eagles, said it has been in discussion with U.S. and Ukrainian officials for months and is prepared to train Ukrainian troops on how to use the drones.
“The Gray Eagle represents a significant increase in capability over any loitering munition or small unmanned aircraft system so far committed to this war. If you think Himars changed things, put some Gray Eagles in the air and see what happens next,”
said C. Mark Brinkley, a spokesman for General Atomics who declined to comment on the letter.
Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder on Thursday told reporters that the Defense Department is aware of Ukraine’s request for Gray Eagle drones but declined to comment about the letter.
“In terms of congressional correspondence, you know, it’d be inappropriate for me to talk about that from the podium, and we’ll certainly respond to Congress accordingly,” Ryder said.
He added that “no decisions have been made” on giving Kyiv the advanced drones.
Ryder also noted that the United States has already provided Ukraine with smaller, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance drones, including Pumas and ScanEagles, as well as explosive unmanned aerial systems, including Switchblades and Phoenix Ghosts.
This year, the U.S. has sent Ukraine more than $15 billion in military and security aid.
Top Photo: MQ-1C Gray Eagle – US Marine Corps
Sources: The Wall Street Journal; The Hill