What is the Phoenix Ghost drone that will be used in Ukraine?
Washington will provide Kiev with 500 drones as part of an aid package, The Jerusalem Post reports. It is emphasized that they were developed specifically for Ukraine and are capable of being in the air for up to six hours.
Phoenix Ghost is a barrage munition capable of being in the air for a long time until the target is detected.
The United States is sending 500 Phoenix Ghost drones to Ukraine as part of a $270 million aid package announced Monday by the Defense Department.
The Defense Express website cites statements by the adviser to the Ukrainian president, Alexei Arestovich, who called the Phoenix Ghost drone "a good thing."
This drone fits in a backpack and can stay in the air for six hours.It has infrared guidance, which means that the munition can operate at night, destroying medium-armored targets.
"580 units of such weapons are 350 destroyed targets," Arestovich said.
According to Defense News, this drone was developed in the United States specifically for use in Ukraine. According to the principle of operation, it is very similar to the AeroVironment Switchblade ammunition.
Like Switchblade, Phoenix Ghost is a barrage munition capable of being in the air for a long time until the target is detected.
"The presidential decision is the sixteenth selection of military equipment from the warehouses of the Ministry of Defense for Ukraine since August 2021, when the Biden administration authorized the provision of such assistance," the Pentagon said in a statement released on Friday.
The Phoenix Ghost barrage munition was developed in California by Aevex Aerospace. It can be effectively used against medium-armored vehicles, as told by a former member of the board of this company, Lieutenant General David Deptula. In his interview with Politico, Deptula said that the drone has the ability to take off vertically, can search for targets for up to six hours and operate at night thanks to infrared sensors.
Switchblade can stay in the air for less than an hour. Phoenix Ghost is also able to barrage much longer.
