US to provide Ukraine with killer drones
Categories: FOREIGN COUNTRIES
The Russian onslaught is getting deadlier by the day and the Ukrainian resistance is getting fiercer. And the west continues to keep President Volodymyr Zelensky at an arm's length. But that could change as the Biden administration is going to arm Ukraine with killer drones.US President Joe Biden has announced an additional $800 million in security assistance to Ukraine on Wednesday. Biden says America will continue to give Ukraine weapons to fight and defend itself. Zelensky invoked September 11 and Pearl Harbor during his impassioned address to the US Congress, imploring Washington to step up military aid and impose a no-fly zone to counter the Russian invasion closing in on Kyiv. But that request involves a direct engagement of NATO forces and has been repeatedly refused by the West. Anti-armour loitering munitions have more range and precision and cost less than present-day anti-tank weapons. It basically means the drone can orbit the battlefield until its ground controller guides it onto a target. The advantage of having loitering ammunition is that it has the ability to patrol for extended periods, remain hidden and then immediately strike stationary or moving targets. The Switchblade 600 weighs 22 Kg and can hover over a target for 40 minutes before zooming down at speeds of 185kph. It is programmed and equipped to pierce armour and destroy a tank or an armoured vehicle. These Switchblades are designed to be easily portable, fitting into a rucksack and perfectly suits the Ukrainian army which along with the volunteers is giving a tough fight to the Russian troops. Russia's defence ministry says a large number of weapons supplied by foreign nations were being stored at the sprawling training facility. The attack on the Yavoriv International Centre for Peacekeeping and Security, a base just 25 km from the Polish border. It had previously hosted NATO military instructors. Clearly, Moscow has made its intent clear and with this latest move of providing Ukraine with weapons that could inflict heavy damage to the Russian forces, the tensions continue to only rise further.