Phoenix Ghost, the secret American weapon that makes Russia nervous
It's a kamikaze drone designed in record time at the very start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Used en masse in the face of Russian offensives, the weapon that is supplied to Kiev by the United States plays a decisive role in the conflict.
What do we know? The program surrounding the Phoenix Ghost has been deliberately kept a secret by both the American authorities and the Ukrainian armed forces, who had the use of it. According to its manufacturer, Aevex Aerospace, more than 5,000 models have been delivered to Kiev, more than any other American drone, according to Forbes, which recently visited the production site.
In early 2022, when Ukraine had just been invaded by Russia, the US Department of Defense made an urgent request to manufacturer Aevex Aerospace. A way had to be found to “produce a system that will reduce the movements of a large armed organization”, explains an employee of the company specializing in airborne intelligence-gathering solutions.
Aevex Aerospace, which had never before developed a drone, then began producing a device capable of meeting the US military's demand.
As Geo reports, by teaming up with producer Tribe Aerospace, which specializes in the low-cost reproduction of enemy drones, Aevex Aerospace quickly put its plan into action: to take foreign designs and design its own model in record time. Thanks to their low cost and massive use, the Phoenix Ghost forces opponents to equip themselves with expensive anti-aircraft munitions in order to neutralize them.
While Kiev has managed to develop a solid domestic industry capable of mass-producing similar models, Aevex has decided to focus on longer-range drones, such as the Dominator, which can carry a larger explosive charge.
(MH with Manon Pierre - Source : Geo - Illustration : Unsplash)