4.21.22
Ukraine asked the U.S. for a new drone to fight Russia, so the U.S. Air Force delivered one for them: Phoenix Ghost, a new lethal aerial weapon that the Pentagon is reluctant to detail, except to say it will take on many of the qualities of the kamikaze Switchblade drones already in theater. “What I can tell you about the Phoenix Ghost is: this was rapidly developed by the Air Force, in response, specifically, to Ukrainian requirements,” said a senior defense official who briefed Pentagon reporters Thursday. The drone is produced by California-based Aevex Aerospace. An Aevex employee who answered the phone Thursday told Defense One the company had no comment on the drone. The Air Force was not immediately available to comment on the drone. The defense official said the new drone has similar characteristics to the Switchblade drone made by Arlington, Va.- based Aerovironment. To date, the U.S. has sent Ukraine more than 700 of the drones.
“It provides the same sort of tactical capability that a Switchblade does,” the official said. “As you know, Switchblade is a one-way drone, if you will, and it clearly is designed to deliver a punch. It's a tactical UAS [unmanned aerial system], and the Phoenix Ghost is of that same category.” Like the Switchblade, which the U.S. trained some Ukrainian forces on who were already in the U.S. when the invasion began, Phoenix Ghost will require “some minimal training for knowledgeable UAS operators to be able to use it, and we're going to be working through those training requirements directly with the Ukrainian Armed Forces,” the official said. The 121 drones are part of the latest $800-million security assistance package to Ukraine, announced Thursday by President Joe Biden. The package also includes 72 155mm howitzers and 144,000 artillery rounds; 72 Tactical Vehicles to tow 155mm howitzers and field equipment and spare parts, the Pentagon said in a statement.
