The U.S. has deployed 10,000 drones to the Middle East
14 March 01:15
The United States has deployed 10,000 interceptor drones, tested in Ukraine, to the Middle East to repel Iranian attacks without using expensive missile defense systems. This was stated by U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, according to Bloomberg, as reported by [Komersant]
“Merops drones equipped with artificial intelligence were deployed within five days of the start of the U.S.-Israeli operation against Iran on February 28,” Driscoll said.
These drones were developed by the defense firm Project Eagle with the support of former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and were subsequently sent to Ukraine in 2024.
Merops drones cost approximately $14,000 to $15,000 per unit. However, Driscoll says that large orders could lower the price to $3,000–$5,000 per interceptor.
This is cheaper than Iranian Shahed UAVs, which cost at least $20,000 and have been used in large numbers against the U.S. and its allies in the region.
“We’re actually on the more cost-effective side of the curve. So every time Iran launches a drone that we can shoot down, they’re losing a significant amount of money,” Driscoll said.
Bloomberg reports that the wider use of Merops drones could radically change the situation for the U.S. and Israeli armed forces, which have been forced to rely on Patriot and THAAD air defense systems—whose missiles can cost over $4 million each—to shoot down Iranian drones and ballistic missiles.
As a reminder, on March 13, U.S. President Donald Trump rejected Kyiv’s offer to help the U.S. defend against Iranian drone attacks.
“No, we don’t need their help in defending against drones. We know more about drones than anyone else. We have the best drones in the world,” he said.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy commented on the remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump, who stated that the United States does not need Ukraine’s help in shooting down Iranian drones.
The head of state told reporters in Paris, as quoted by “Ukrinform”:
“Rhetoric is rhetoric,” and “the main thing is that we know what we are doing,” Zelenskyy said
Earlier on March 5, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that Ukraine had received a request from the United States for assistance in defending against suicide drones in the Middle East following the outbreak of war in Iran. He noted that he had ordered the provision of necessary equipment, as well as the deployment of Ukrainian specialists.
On March 10, Zelenskyy stated that he had sent three teams of experts as well as interceptor drones to combat Iranian UAVs in Qatar, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia.
