Report: The US will Deploy Attack Drones to South Korea
According to the South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo, the United States will deploy 12 MQ-1C Grey Eagle UAVs to Gunsan air base in South Korea next month
Dan Arkin
| 22/02/2018
General Atomics MQ-1C Gray Eagle UAS (Photo: US Army via Wikimedia Commons)
The US is set to deploy new attack drones to South Korea the South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo reported earlier this week. The UAVs could be used to kill North Korean leaders and launch pinpoint strikes on its missile launch pads.
According to the report, 12 General Atomics MQ-1C Gray Eagle UAVs will arrive at an airbase in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province in March and April. Their deployment coincides with joint South Korea-US drills that will be staged in early April right after the closing of the Winter Paralympics in Pyeongchang.
Construction of a hangar and other support facilities was completed late last month, and support personnel has already arrived at the airbase, the report adds.
The Gray Eagle, an improved version of the MQ-1 Predator, has both strike and reconnaissance capabilities. With a 17m wingspan, it is 8m-long and can fly at a maximum speed of 280 km/h for up to 30 hours. It is capable of non-stop surveillance missions and intelligence gathering in an area of a 400km radius from an altitude of 7.6km, which means it can target most parts of North Korea.
According to the South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo, the United States will deploy 12 MQ-1C Grey Eagle UAVs to Gunsan air base in South Korea next month
General Atomics MQ-1C Gray Eagle UAS (Photo: US Army via Wikimedia Commons)
The US is set to deploy new attack drones to South Korea the South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo reported earlier this week. The UAVs could be used to kill North Korean leaders and launch pinpoint strikes on its missile launch pads.
According to the report, 12 General Atomics MQ-1C Gray Eagle UAVs will arrive at an airbase in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province in March and April. Their deployment coincides with joint South Korea-US drills that will be staged in early April right after the closing of the Winter Paralympics in Pyeongchang.
Construction of a hangar and other support facilities was completed late last month, and support personnel has already arrived at the airbase, the report adds.
The Gray Eagle, an improved version of the MQ-1 Predator, has both strike and reconnaissance capabilities. With a 17m wingspan, it is 8m-long and can fly at a maximum speed of 280 km/h for up to 30 hours. It is capable of non-stop surveillance missions and intelligence gathering in an area of a 400km radius from an altitude of 7.6km, which means it can target most parts of North Korea.
