US ‘Ghost’ drones headed to Ukraine as part of new military aid; Meet ‘Phoenix Ghost,’ the US Air Force’s new drone; Biden announces heavy artillery, other weapons for UKR; Pro-Kremlin outlet deletes post reporting 13,000 Russian soldiers dead in UKR, LIVE UPDATES and MORE
US ‘Ghost’ drones headed to Ukraine as part of new military aid:
The United States will be sending Ukraine more than 120 Phoenix Ghost tactical unmanned aerial systems, a small, newly developed drone that will require some training.
President Joe Biden announced another $800 million in military aid Thursday, bringing the total U.S. aid to Ukraine since Russia invaded to roughly $3.4 billion. A readout from the Pentagon said the U.S. will provide 121 of the drones, in addition to 72 155 mm howitzers and 72 tactical vehicles to tow those weapons.
The drones, which the Air Force began developing prior to Russia’s invasion, are “designed for tactical operations — in other words, largely, but not exclusively, to attack targets,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Thursday. “It, like almost all unmanned aerial systems, of course, has optics. So it can still — it can also be used to give you a sight picture of what’s seen, of course, but its principal focus is attack.”
They were “developed for a set of requirements that very closely match what the Ukrainians need right now,” he explained, and they “will require a little bit of training,” Kirby added. —>READ MORE HERE
Meet ‘Phoenix Ghost,’ the US Air Force’s new drone perfect for Ukraine’s war with Russia:
The latest $800 million arms package for Ukraine includes a unique new item — the Phoenix Ghost tactical drone, a never-before revealed system designed by the US Air Force that will now prove its mettle on the battlefields of Ukraine.
The United States will provide more than 121 Phoenix Ghost Tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems, which are manufactured by AEVEX Aerospace, the Pentagon announced today.
Earlier today, a senior defense official said the new drone “was rapidly developed by the Air Force in response, specifically, to Ukrainian requirements.” However, in a later briefing, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby walked back that characterization, stating that the Phoenix Ghost was “developed before” Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine.
“It was developed for a set of requirements that very closely match what the Ukrainians need right now in Donbas,” he said.
The Phoenix Ghost is similar to the Switchblade unmanned systems previously delivered to Ukraine, the official said, in that it is a “one way drone” that is “clearly designed to give a punch” to a number of different types of targets. This likely means that Phoenix Ghost is a low-cost, single-use suicide drone that behaves like a loitering munition — flying around an airspace before ramming itself into a target.
That said, there are differences in the “scope of capability for the Phoenix Ghost, but I’m just not going to be able to get into more detail about those capabilities,” the official said, citing the classification of the new system. —>READ MORE HERE
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