U.S. Plan to Sell Armed Drones to Ukraine Suspended

A plan by the Biden administration to sell four MQ-1C Gray Eagle large armed drones to Ukraine has been suspended due to fears of leaking core technology, according to two people familiar with the matter.

The potential issue, which was overlooked in an initial review, was raised at a Pentagon meeting late last week, the sources said.

Objections were reportedly raised during a review of the sale proposal by the Pentagon’s Defense Technology Security Administration(DTSA). The department’s job is to keep U.S. military technology from falling into enemy hands. DTSA is concerned that radar and surveillance equipment on drones, which could pose a security risk to the United States if they fall into Russian hands.

Sue Gough, a Pentagon spokeswoman, said technical security reviews are standard practice for transfers of U.S. defense items to all international partners, and it is stressed that each case must be individually reviewed before being submitted to the relevant authorities for approval through established procedures.

A senior Pentagon official, who asked not to be named, said the top Pentagon is now reviewing whether to proceed with the deal, and no decision has been made yet.