Attack drone to deploy in South Korea
/Screen captured from Twitter
General Atomics’ MQ-1C Gray Eagle drone will be deployed in Korea to improve the country’s defenses against North Korea.
The announcement comes after North Korea’s fourth nuclear test on Jan. 6.
The Gray Eagle is an upgraded version of the MQ-1 Predator. The Predator has proven its value during U.S. operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and the war against terror.
U.S Forces Korea was going to deploy the Gray Eagle in 2017 but decided to introduce it this year.
The drone can fly for 30 hours and has a maximum speed of 280 kilometers an hour.
It can carry four missiles or bombs, including air-to ground-Hellfire missiles, air-to-air Stinger missiles and the Viper Strike guided bomb.
The Gray Eagle, which costs about 2.5 billion won, came into service with the U.S. Army in 2009.