POLITICO: Washington will send 100 Switchblade drones to Ukraine

SANAA, March 17 (YPA) – The United States will send Ukraine 100 killer drones as part of the Biden administration’s massive military aid package, POLITICO reported.

Texas Rep. Mike McCaul,  the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told POLITICO that the United States is “working with allies” to send more surface-to-air missile systems to Ukraine.

The Switchblade is a small, light drone that can loiter in the air for up to 30 minutes before being directed to its target by an operator on the ground, dozens of miles away. The drone is launched from a tube, like a mortar shell. Its real-time GPS guidance allows a service member in the field to fly it until the moment it crashes and explodes into whatever the target might be.

The revelation comes after US President Joe Biden announced the new $800 million in military aid to Ukraine, following a virtual address by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the US Congress.

“The United States and our allies and partners are fully committed to surging weapons of assistance to the Ukrainians, and more will be coming as we source additional stocks of equipment that we’re ready to transfer,” Biden said on Wednesday.

“In the last week alone, the new US security assistance will reach $1 billion.”

This comes against the backdrop of the continuation of the Russian military operation in Ukraine, which began on February 24th.

E.M