Phoenix Ghost drone

The single-use suicide drones are being sent to eastern Ukraine, where Russia has made the most gains.

While the Pentagon keeps saying the Phoenix Ghost is like the Switchblade, The Drive news outlet points out that doesn’t mean it necessarily is a tube-launched drone like the Switchblade. The Phoenix Ghost could be a quadcopter, and the only similarity with the Switchblade could be that it’s a single-use drone with an optical system and an attached explosive. “Without getting into the specifications, the kinds of things this drone can do, lends itself well to this particular type of terrain. But the Russians are likely to find out soon enough. When asked by a reporter at Thursday’s press conference what that means, Kirby wouldn’t elaborate. I think I’m just going to leave it at that. Information about the drone, dubbed the Phoenix Ghost, is still classified but Kirby says it’s similar to the Switchblade, many of which have already been sent to Ukraine in the country’s fight against Russia. The Switchblade is a very small tube-launched drone equipped with a camera and an explosive, making it a “single-use” aerial weapon.

The Pentagon says the Phoenix Ghost tactical unmanned aerial system was designed mainly for striking targets.

But its purpose is akin to that of the Switchblade … which is basically a one-way drone, an attack drone. And that’s essentially what this is designed to do”. The Pentagon said training for the Ghost drones would be similar to the training on the Switchblade, but did not reveal any details about training plans or say how many Ukrainians would be trained on the new system.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said the Phoenix Ghost tactical drones "very nicely" suit the needs of the Ukrainian military.

"It was developed for a set of requirements that very closely match what the Ukrainians need right now in Donbas." The Phoenix Ghost drones are likely, then, be able to directly crash into and destroy targets, and won't be recovered. But its principal focus is attack," Kirby said. The Pentagon said in a statement Thursday that the U.S. will "continue to utilize all available tools to support Ukraine's Armed Forces in the face of Russian aggression." The official said the Phoenix Ghost can be used by Ukrainian forces against multiple targets, adding that there are differences in the "scope of capability" for the new drones. Washington is sending mysterious Phoenix Ghost tactical drones developed by the U.S. Air Force to Ukraine as part of the latest $800 million arms package for the war-torn country.

The Phoenix Ghost is a tactical unmanned aerial system, meaning that it will not only be ideal for surveillance use but can also be used to strike Russian ...

It’s possible that the drone could be similar to the popular Switchblade drones, which have not only been delivered to Ukraine by the United States in large numbers, but with which Ukrainian soldiers are already familiar. The Phoenix Ghost is a tactical unmanned aerial system, meaning that it will not only be ideal for surveillance use but can also be used to strike Russian troops and military equipment from the air. 121 of the new unmanned aerial systems, manufactured by AEVEX Aerospace, will be delivered to the country.

The drone can take off vertically, fly for over six hours while searching for or tracking a target, and operate at night using infrared sensors.

And as for the name – well, even the senior defense official has no idea where that came from. He described the drone as able to take off vertically, fly for over six hours while searching for or tracking a target, and operate at night using infrared sensors. Along with more well-known weapons and tactical equipment, the US is set to send Ukraine something never seen before: 121 so-called “Phoenix Ghost” drones.

Developed by the US Air Force, the Phoenix Ghost drone is a UAV that uses the kamikaze technique to destroy its target.

Apart from warheads, this drone is fitted with cameras, enabling it to carry out surveillance in enemy territory. Instead, they charge at the target and explode once close enough to destroy it. In discussions with the Ukrainians about their requirements, we realised that this would suit their needs, particularly in eastern Ukraine [Donbas],” Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said during a briefing Thursday. Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said that the Phoenix Ghost drone is similar to the Aerovironment Switchblades. The air force was working on this before. New Delhi: The Pentagon has unveiled a new attack drone — the Phoenix Ghost — that is being sent to Ukraine as part of the US’ latest $800 million security assistance package to Kyiv.

A Soldier conducts registration and calibration for the M777A2 howitzer weapon system in Syria, Sept. 30, 2021. U.S. Army Spc. Isaiah Scott | U.S. Army.

In addition, hundreds of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear protective equipment have also left U.S. stockpiles for Ukraine. The Pentagon confirmed that Ukraine forces will have to train alongside U.S. troops before operating the howitzers. The last two U.S. weapons packages for Ukraine have included a total of 90 howitzer artillery systems. High on the wishlists of Ukrainian forces are the Javelin portable anti-armor weapons. It weighs slightly more than 120 pounds and has a range of more than 40 miles. This radar system is capable of locating mortars, artillery and rockets within a short-range. It can fit in a rucksack, weighs a little over 5 pounds and has a range of 10 miles. It was not immediately clear which version the U.S. deployed to Ukraine. The drones are manufactured by Aevex Aerospace in Solana Beach, Calif., and are currently in the U.S. Air Force arsenal. He did not provide a timeline for when the drones would arrive in the region. There are other differences in the scope of capability for the Phoenix Ghosts, but I'm just not going to be able to get into more detail about those capabilities right now," Kirby said. The U.S. has also committed at least 300 Switchblade drones manufactured by U.S.-based firm AeroVironment. There are two variants of the weapon, the Switchblade 300 and the 600.

On April 21, the Pentagon announced a $800 million security package for Ukraine defense, including 121 tactical unmanned aerial systems (UAS) dubbed Phoenix ...

AeroVironment is also donating more than 100 Quantix Recon UAS and operational training services to Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence and territorial forces. It weighs slightly more than 120 pounds and has a range of more than 40 miles. It can fit in a rucksack, weighs a little more than 5 pounds and has a range of 10 miles.

Yesterday the Pentagon announced it was sending a new, previously unknown type of loitering munition to Ukraine called Phoenix Ghost. Why is an experimental ...

A defense official said that the U.S. has manufactured “most” of the 121 drones suggesting that not all of them are ready to be shipped yet. The plan was to develop a mobile truck launcher for several Warmates under a project called Sokol (“Falcon”). The project ran into problems integrating the vehicle and the drone, culminating in a court case between Ukrainian developers and their own Ministry of Defence in August 2021. The big question is whether Phoenix Ghost is a small, short-range system or something with greater reach that can take out tanks. The Air Force is much less interested in taking out tanks than tackling enemy air defenses. (The Russian Air Force’s failure to knock out Ukraine’s S-300 Surface-to-air missiles early on as expected has led to their continued high rate of casualties). One of the best means of suppression them is to use anti-radiation missiles, which home in on the radars guiding surface to air missiles. It was developed for the Air Force by AEVEX Aerospace, an established Pentagon contractor, who have also declined to provide details. This is a 33-pound weapon with a range of more than 25 miles and a loiter time of over 40 minutes, with a heavy warhead comparable to that of a Javelin missile able to take out the heaviest armor. AEVEX are not known as a drone maker, and their company site lists many activities but nothing of this sort. Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby later stated that Phoenix Ghost was developed before the invasion. What are these new weapons, why do they come from the Air Force rather than the Army, and can the numbers be ramped up? Shipments of Switchblade loitering munitions were announced last month, but these are mainly the 300 model, a 5.5 pound weapon with a range of six miles and a small warhead effective against personnel and light vehicles. Loitering munitions, popularly called kamikaze drones, are a new and potentially game-changing type of weapon.

The Pentagon's John Kirby said the 'kamikaze drones' are designed for Zelenskyy's army battling on the open terrain of Ukraine's Donbas region.

The Phoenix Ghost "is a different type of aircraft. But its purpose is akin to that of the Switchblade, which is basically a one-way drone, an attack drone. New "Phoenix Ghost" drones are being supplied to Ukraine as part of the US $800 million arms package, the Pentagon said on Thursday.