The Pentagon says the Phoenix Ghost tactical unmanned aerial vehicle system is designed primarily to hit targets.
The United States has revealed details of its latest military aid package, which will be used by Ukrainian forces in the east of the country after Russian forces launched a full-scale offensive in the region this week.
The new $ 800 million aid package includes a new unmanned aerial vehicle or drone called Phoenix Ghost.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said the drones, manufactured by US company Aevex Aerospace, are particularly suitable for battles in eastern Ukraine, in the plains and open terrain of a region known as Donbass.
“Without going into the specifications, but the kinds of things this drone can do lend themselves well to this particular type of terrain,” Kirby told reporters Thursday.
“I think I’ll just leave it at that. But its purpose is similar to that of Switchblade … which is essentially a one-way drone attacking a drone. And that’s essentially what he’s meant to do. “
Drones such as Turkey’s Bayraktar TB2 and US-made Switchblade have so far played a key role in defending Ukrainian forces against Russian invasion.
Not much is known about Phoenix Ghost drones, including their range and precision capabilities.
However, Kirby said the drones, which have not yet been delivered to Ukraine, are equipped with on-board cameras.
“It can also be used to give you a visual picture of what he sees, of course. But his main focus is the attack, “he said.
He added that the systems were being developed before Russia’s invasion of neighboring Ukraine on February 24th.
“But we will continue to move this development in ways that are in line with Ukraine’s requirements for tactical unmanned aerial vehicles in eastern Ukraine,” he added.
The Pentagon said Ghost drone training would be similar to Switchblade’s, but did not reveal any details about the training plans or said how many Ukrainians would be trained under the new system.
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