The U.S. is continuously providing ammunition support to Ukraine against Russia. Keeping up the same tradition, it has been declared that the US has developed another series of “Kamikaze drones” known as the “Phoenix Ghost” to provide assistance to Ukraine in its war against Russia. This cooperation and assistance also come from the $800 million dollar ammunition package for Ukraine. However, the phoenix drones are somewhat similar in function to the previously sent Switchblade UAVs to Ukraine, but the capability of the Phoenix drones to monitor and hit different types of targets is even more advanced. According to the Pentagon, “The Phoenix Ghost is a low-cost, one-time-use suicide drone that operates in accordance with a loitering munition, hovering about an airspace before slamming into a target.”
A senior defense representative of the US said that these drones are built specifically in accordance with the needs and requirements of Ukraine, but later that day, he took his statement back, stating that these “Phoenix Ghost” drones were already in the development phase even before the Russia-Ukraine conflict. It seems confusing, right? Moreover, these Phoenix drones are assembled and manufactured by AEVEX Aerospace, which is a California-based defense company, so keeping in view of the company’s manufacturing capabilities, the US has announced that it will deliver more than 121 Tactical UAVs (Phoenix Ghosts) to Ukraine. When asked about the functional capabilities of the Phoenix drone, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said, “I’m going to be unwilling to go into much more information about the system at this stage for classified reasons, but you can reasonably conclude that it works in general.” It has the same kind of tactical capabilities as a switchblade. A switchblade, if you will, is a one-way drone that is plainly meant to deliver a punch. It’s a tactical UAS, and the Phoenix Ghost is in the same class. “
If we compare the ranges of both the Switchblade UAVs and the Phoenix Ghost, then we can say that the Switchblade UAVs can hover for about 30–40 minutes in the air, with a target radius of about 10–40 kilometers. For a Phoenix Ghost, the hovering time is about six hours, and that is huge in comparison to Switchblades, as it will also aid in target surveillance in the right way. However, its range has not been disclosed yet. Another apparent distinction is that the Phoenix drones come equipped with surveillance cameras that will provide further assistance in locking down the correct target against the enemy.