The Department of Defense announced it was sending "121 Phoenix Ghost Tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems" to Ukraine. The never-before-seen kamikaze drone is a brand-new weapon system designed for ambushing Russian tanks.
As reported by Breaking Defense, the Phoenix Ghost tactical drone is similar to the Switchblade drone already fielded in Ukraine.
The War Zone reported that Pentagon Press Secretary Jack Kirby said the Phoenix Ghost's capabilities differ from Switchblades.
"I'm gonna be loath to get into much more detail about the system at this point for classification purposes, but you can safely assume that, in general, it works," Kirby said. "It provides the same sort of tactical capability that a Switchblade does. Switchblade is a one-way drone if you will, and it clearly is designed to deliver a punch. It's a tactical UAS, and Phoenix ghost is of that same category."
California-based AEVEX Aerospace is the defense company that designed and manufactured Phoenix Ghost. The company markets itself as "a recognized leader in full-spectrum airborne intelligence solutions."
The new drone is part of the latest U.S. arms package to Ukraine.
Russia's Ambassador to the U.S., Anatoly Antonov, accused Biden of pumping Ukraine with weapons:
"The U.S. authorities do not seem to be interested in a ceasefire. What matters for John Kirby and his colleagues is that the American military-industrial complex receives additional income by getting rid of obsolete weapons from their warehouses," Antonov said.
So far, the Biden administration has committed more than $4 billion in security assistance to Ukraine and has just requested a whopping $33 billion more. The massive request includes billions of dollars for economic and humanitarian aid.
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