In a shipment of weapons and military equipment worth $ 775 million sent by the Pentagon to help Ukraine launch a counterattack in the south, there are 15 ScanEagle advanced reconnaissance drones (UAVs).
The US Department of Defense on August 19 announced the 19th aid package for Ukraine since the outbreak of hostilities, aimed at fueling Ukrainian artillery and building an arsenal to support a counterattack near Kherson.
The batch includes 40 armor with large rollers for mine clearance, 50 Humvee armored vehicles, 1,500 BGM-71 TOW guided missiles, 1,000 FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank missiles, 16-105 mm howitzers and 36,000 bullets, and 15 ScanEagle unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
The US Department of Defense also continues to send rockets for the High Mobility Rocket System (HIMARS), which the Ukrainian military is said to have used to destroy many Russian headquarters and ammunition depots.
The Pentagon also said it is sending more AGM-88 High-Speed Anti-Radar Missiles (HARMs). American technicians have managed to integrate this country’s missile into the MiG-29 fighter produced in the Soviet era of Ukraine.
ScanEagle is a low-altitude reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle manufactured by a subsidiary of Boeing.
The ScanEagle was built for reconnaissance, battlefield surveillance, artillery locating, targeting support and post-attack damage assessment. ScanEagle can work day or night.
ScanEagle made its first flight in 2002 and has been in service with the US Navy since 2005. This UAV quickly became widely available in many other branches of the US armed forces and became one of the main close-range surveillance vehicles.
ScanEagle UAV has a wingspan of 3.1 m, a length of 1.4 m, and a weight of 20 kg. This UAV is equipped with a 2-stroke piston engine, with a capacity of 1.5 horsepower.
The UAV reaches a maximum speed of about 148 km/h, a cruise speed of 111 km/h, and has a continuous operation time of more than 20 hours.
ScanEagle is equipped with an advanced photoelectric sensor system or infrared camera.
The most recent upgraded version is equipped with the world’s smallest synthetic aperture radar.
ScanEagle is very easily deployed using a pneumatic launch system. This launch system can be placed anywhere, on land, or in places with limited space on warships.
With the advantages of compactness, ease of deployment and withdrawal, and the ability to scout and monitor for a long time, ScanEagle is very popular in the US armed forces.
In addition, the US also equips this weapon for its allies as well as a number of other countries that order this line of advanced reconnaissance UAVs.
