The US-issued ‘ghost’ suicide killer to Ukraine

On April 21, the US President announced a military aid package worth $800 million to Ukraine, including 72 155mm howitzers and trailers, 144,000 shells, equipment, spare parts and 121 UAS Phoenix Ghosts. Phoenix).

US soldiers launch a suicide drone US Marines

Type Unmanned aircraft This mystery was not well known prior to the White House announcement. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby only said that the Phoenix Ghost is a brand new weapon that is being rapidly developed by the US Air Force, with specific standards for the war in Ukraine and will be suitable for the terrain in eastern Ukraine. .

He later corrected that the aircraft was developed before Russia launched its military operation in Ukraine on February 24.

According to Kirby, Phoenix Ghost possesses features similar to “but not quite the same” with the AeroVironment Switchblade drone that the US has provided to Ukraine.

There are differences in the ability of Phoenix Ghost compared to Switchblade but it is not clear what the difference is. Mr. Kirby only said that the new type of UAS will be effective in hitting different types of targets.

A soldier launches a suicide drone Aerovironment

Switchblade (Automatic press knife) is a type of “suicide army” aircraft. Equipped with a camera on the fuselage, this aircraft can perform reconnaissance missions, but besides that, it can also detect, detect and self-attack the enemy with explosives. Due to such a feature, the Switchblade is small in size so that soldiers can wear them on their backs. The Switchblade does not need a runway to take off, but soldiers can launch it from a small tube while starting its electric motors. Then Switchblade will fly automatically. Thanks to the onboard camera, the operator can identify the target on the screen before ordering it to rush at the target at high speed.

Most tube-launched aircraft can be deployed from the ground, specialized vehicles, ships or aircraft. Some types of UAS can be launched from larger drones, but this is an advanced feature that is not yet common.

The Switchblade-300 aircraft weighs about 2.5 kg and has a range of 10 km, flying continuously for 15 minutes at a speed of 101 km / h. The Switchblade-600 model weighs 25 kg, includes a 15 kg warhead, has a range of about 40 km and can fly continuously for 40 minutes.

The US has provided 400 Switchblades for Ukraineby page The Drive. This type of aircraft has many different sizes to use for different types of targets. In the absence of a suicide mission, the Switchblade can also be reused for a reconnaissance mission.

On the other hand, Phoenix Ghost can also carry designs like commercial helipads with cameras for filming (commonly known as drones). Military experts have warned that these types of low-cost civilian flying devices are easily put into military use.

“I would be reluctant to go into more details about the (Phoenix Ghost) system at this time for confidentiality purposes, but you can say that overall, it works. It offers the same tactical prowess as the Switchblade. The Switchblade is a one-way device and it’s clearly designed to deliver a punch. It’s a tactical UAS and the Phoenix Ghost is of the same type,” said Kirby.

Mr. Kirby said the Phoenix Ghost was developed under the US military’s military contract with AEVEX Aerospace. The company has denied information about the development and design of the aircraft, according to The Drive.

However, retired US general David Deptula, currently director of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Research (USA) and a member of the board of directors of AEVEX told the newspaper. Politico that the Phoenix Ghost is a different type of plane. “It is an effective suicide bomber against medium-range armored targets on the ground. The plane can fly for more than 6 hours and operate at night thanks to infrared sensors,” Deptula said.

The Pentagon spokesman added that Ukrainian forces can quickly use the Phoenix Ghost, but will need some guidance from the US side to operate it proficiently. “We will conduct direct training with the Ukrainian armed forces,” Kirby said.