Pentagon Reveals Secretive New Drone the Air Force is Giving to Ukraine: Phoenix Ghost
The Pentagon is giving Ukraine a secretive new drone that the U.S. Air Force has developed—one that “very nicely” suits the needs of the Ukrainian military, the Pentagon revealed April 21.
The U.S. will deliver at least 121 of the new Phoenix Ghost tactical unmanned aerial systems to Ukraine as part of a new $800 million assistance package announced by Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby. But, what is the Phoenix Ghost?
“This is a drone that had been in development before the invasion, clearly,” Kirby said during an afternoon press briefing. “The Air Force was working this, and in discussions with the Ukrainians about their requirements, we believed that this particular system would very nicely suit their needs, particularly in eastern Ukraine.”
Kirby’s comments mark a slight change from those made by a senior defense official earlier in the day. In a background briefing, the official said the Phoenix Ghost was “rapidly developed by the Air Force, in response, specifically, to Ukrainian requirements.”
Kirby said he did not have an exact date for when Phoenix Ghost started development. But given that the Air Force had at least 120 to send from its inventory, “You’re not going to have 120 on your shelves if you just started buying them on the 24th of February,” the day Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began.
“What probably wasn’t as well worded as it should have been [is] it was developed for a set of requirements that very closely match what Ukrainians need right now in Donbas,” Kirby said, referring to the eastern region of Ukraine where Russia has focused its attack in recent days.
The exact capabilities that Phoenix Ghost will offer to Ukraine are being kept under wraps, as Kirby declined to comment. But he did say the drone is “akin” to the Switchblade drone that the U.S. has already delivered to Ukraine.
Switchblades are often referred to as “kamikaze drones” or “loitering munitions” because they are capable of flying over a target before crashing and detonating in a precision strike. Different versions of the Switchblade can fly between 15 and 40 minutes, with a range from 10 to 40 kilometers.
The Phoenix Ghost is “designed for tactical operations,” Kirby said. “In other words, largely but not exclusively to attack targets. It, like almost all unmanned aerial systems, of course, has optics. So it can also be used to give you a sight picture of what it’s seeing, of course, but its principal focus is attack.”
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GUNS N GEAR
Not very ‘secretive’ now is it. ‘What the Ukrainians need right now in Donbass….’ – are body bags. This fetish with drones is ridiculous. Number one cause of casualties so far – Artillery/ MLRS. Same last year in Nagorno Karrabak. The hype about the Bayraktar had much to do with the fact that Erdogan’s daughter is married to one Bayraktar – namesake owner of company. Armenia military were thrown in unready by another Soros puppet. Seems to be a pattern .
I know they are force multipliers but drones won’t help you if you are pinned down under a WW 2 style barrage. Counter fire or a dozen B. 1s low and fast might if they aren’t all shot down.
Lethal UAVs/loitering munitions comprise the “poor man’s” air force, providing an ISR capability along with precision attack, which adversary anti-aircraft artillery and surface-to-air missile systems have been hard-pressed to successfully engage, as compared to engaging conventional aircraft. Matching conventional force with conventional force is great if one has it. If not, time to consider asymmetrical responses. Another way to think about this is perhaps as winged artillery with its own sensor ball. Pretty short kill chain if the shooter has the sensor and weapon in the same platform.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pb5_F4_Eod8 Rheinmetall engaging drone swarm with laser fused ammo.
Answer me this–Why is the idea and concept of NATION-STATE BORDERS so urgent to UKR and AMERICA that Uncle Sam is funding this proxy war–when the USA’s southern porous BORDER is being INVADED DAILY by tens of thousands of illegals?
Sending BILLIONS of USD and “drones” and war materiel to fight an “INVASION” thousands of miles away, while continental US is overrun by MS13, drug lords, child-traffickers, rapists, criminals, and disease-ridden carcasses–all looking for a most generous “free ride” here at taxpayer expense.
…let that sink in. Are there still 535 lampposts left in D.C? CON-gress, SCOTUS, and Potato-Head Jo Bi-Den sit on their hands–worse–they just laugh at us.
Couple other items: One–imagine you’re Putin’s GENs in the UKR field. You read about, see in print, and your sats and aerial recon see these “brand new Uncle Sugar gimmicks” being off-loaded in Poland, Slovakia, Romania, or Bulgaria. You just patiently wait until they get a few clicks into UKR, where you pulverize them with arty, rockets, or missiles, Easey-peasy. It’s being done with a lot of the kit being sent to UKR. Stuff gets totally wasted. ‘Cept US/EEC media isn’t reporting it.
Item two–again, imagine you’re RUSS fighting this war–and you see all these “supplies” being sent to your enemy by: guess who? TA-DA! Uncle Sugar and his EEC toadies. It might just piss you off enough to mebbe try a bit ‘o cyber-attacks on the sly against these “suppliers,” eh? Like a ‘keep your nose outta our business’ countermeasure.
The German MIC, busting at the seams with excess armor, wants to trans-ship tanks to UKR (so they can both offload “old inventory” and snag new and better $$$ tank contracts in future.) GER Chancellor was asked in an extensive interview published on Friday why he thought delivering tanks could lead to nuclear war, he said there was no rule book that stated when Germany could be considered a party to the war in Ukraine.
…no rule book…Play silly games, win silly prizes–like your country getting nuked.
“That’s why it is all the more important that we consider each step very carefully and coordinate closely with one another,” he was quoted as saying. “To avoid an escalation towards NATO is a top priority for me.
“That’s why I don’t focus on polls or let myself be irritated by shrill calls. The consequences of an error would be dramatic.”
‘Bout time some nation, whose country and arse is on the line starts thinking like an adult.
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/germanys-scholz-resists-sending-quickly-available-tanks-ukraine-could-lead-nuclear-war