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U.S. military aid has been key to Ukraine's effective defense against Russia's renewed invasion.
Most of those weapons have come from U.S. military stocks, but some are coming straight from the design table. The Phoenix Ghost tactical unmanned aerial system is one of them.
The elusive Phoenix Ghost
In late April, the Pentagon announced it would send 121 Phoenix Ghost drones to Ukraine.
According to the Pentagon, the U.S. Air Force had been working on the Phoenix Ghost well before Russian troops crossed the Ukrainian border on February 24. However, once the war started, the Pentagon decided that the drone would be well suited to the conflict in Ukraine and started adjusting its development to the Ukrainian military's particular needs.
The limited information that the Pentagon has provided about the Phoenix Ghost suggests that it is a loitering munition designed for a single attack. Often launched by soldiers who are very close to the frontlines, loitering munitions are designed for relatively short flights that end with them crashing into their target.
In April, John Kirby, chief Pentagon spokesman at the time, said the Phoenix Ghost was “akin” to the Switchblade tactical unmanned aerial system that the U.S. military started sending to Ukraine in March.
The Switchblade-300 and -600 are loitering munitions for use against infantry and armored targets, respectively….
