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US arms maker ready to sell MQ-9 Reaper strike drones to Ukraine for $1

The Insider

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US arms manufacturer General Atomics is offering to sell two Reaper MQ-9 drones to the Ukrainian government at a token price of $1 in preparation for an expected Russian offensive, the WSJ reports.

Despite the $1 price tag, the deal would require Kyiv to incur transportation costs of $10 million, which would go towards preparing and dispatching the UAVs to Ukraine, as well as approximately $8 million a year for maintenance.

The deal is subject to approval by the White House.

The Reaper MQ-9 drones can stay in the air for more than 24 hours and are capable of carrying a wide range of weapons, including air-to-ground missiles and aerial bombs.

Earlier today it was reported that the US is planning to transfer a new $2.2bn military aid package to Ukraine, which is expected to include GLSDB (Ground Launched Small Diameter Bomb) missiles with the range of 150 km.