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Pentagon Reveals Secretive New Drone the Air Force is Giving to Ukraine: Phoenix Ghost
Air Force Magazine ^ | April 21, 2022 | Greg Hadley

Posted on 04/22/2022 4:45:49 AM PDT by GonzoII

Editor’s note: This story was updated at 6:30 p.m. to include clarifying comments from the Pentagon press secretary on when the Phoenix Ghost was developed.

The Pentagon is giving Ukraine a secretive new drone that the U.S. Air Force has developed—one that “very nicely” suits the needs of the Ukrainian military, the Pentagon revealed April 21.

The U.S. will deliver at least 121 of the new Phoenix Ghost tactical unmanned aerial systems to Ukraine as part of a new $800 million assistance package announced by Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby. But, what is the Phoenix Ghost?

“This is a drone that had been in development before the invasion, clearly,” Kirby said during an afternoon press briefing. “The Air Force was working this, and in discussions with the Ukrainians about their requirements, we believed that this particular system would very nicely suit their needs, particularly in eastern Ukraine.”

Kirby’s comments mark a slight change from those made by a senior defense official earlier in the day. In a background briefing, the official said the Phoenix Ghost was “rapidly developed by the Air Force, in response, specifically, to Ukrainian requirements.”

Kirby said he did not have an exact date for when Phoenix Ghost started development. But given that the Air Force had at least 120 to send from its inventory, “You’re not going to have 120 on your shelves if you just started buying them on the 24th of February,” the day Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began.

....snip

The exact capabilities that Phoenix Ghost will offer to Ukraine are being kept under wraps, as Kirby declined to comment. But he did say the drone is “akin” to the Switchblade drone that the U.S. has already delivered to Ukraine…


(Excerpt) Read more at airforcemag.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: cia; clinton; deepstate; drone; mic; phoenixghost; russia; soros; ukraine; war; warisprofit; warpigs
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To: EEGator

Actual racist comment... You do realize that don’t you?

Keep that crap off of FR


21 posted on 04/22/2022 5:36:26 AM PDT by Mr. K (No consequence of repealing obamacare is worse than obamacare itself)
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Comment #22 Removed by Moderator

To: GonzoII

So Russia and China get a new toy to take apart and design defenses against.

Why the hell not!!!


23 posted on 04/22/2022 5:41:28 AM PDT by BobL (Putin isn't sending gays into our scho nice Nice ols to groom my children, but anti-Putin people are)
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To: Sacajaweau

That’s right. It will be used to go to downtown Moscow over the kremlin.


24 posted on 04/22/2022 5:44:11 AM PDT by DownInFlames (P)
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To: GonzoII

The U.S. will deliver at least 121 of the new Phoenix Ghost tactical unmanned aerial systems to Ukraine as part of a new $800 million assistance package announced by Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby. But, what is the Phoenix Ghost?

Having fattened the profits of the government connected Big Pharma companies, fedGov now fattens the profits of the connected defense companies. Just one big happy fascist FedGov corporation.


25 posted on 04/22/2022 5:46:57 AM PDT by Flick Lives (The CDC. Brought to you by Pfizer)
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To: GonzoII

It is a non-recoverable drone.

Sort of a cruise missile with loitering and target selection capabilities?


26 posted on 04/22/2022 5:51:32 AM PDT by FarCenter
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To: GonzoII

Service testing new ideas. i.e. requirements validation.


27 posted on 04/22/2022 6:08:37 AM PDT by glorgau
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To: FarCenter

If the USAF built it, you can pretty much bet that it’s a recon platform that comes home after it’s mission. The Army & Marines are more concerned with blowing stuff up. It’s also possible that the USAF is pawning off some junk sitting around I their inventory because they already have a better replacement.


28 posted on 04/22/2022 6:26:31 AM PDT by Tallguy
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To: Flick Lives

The only solution will be disarmament! That will teach them. /s


29 posted on 04/22/2022 7:12:14 AM PDT by Williams (Stop Tolerating The Intolerant)
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To: GonzoII

Are these the tiny switchblade type ?


30 posted on 04/22/2022 7:22:09 AM PDT by butlerweave
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To: EEGator

you don’t think that’s a race? or calling people ‘chinks’ is a racist slur on a group of people?

you’re even stupider than we thought


31 posted on 04/22/2022 7:44:24 AM PDT by Mr. K (No consequence of repealing obamacare is worse than obamacare itself)
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To: EEGator

you don’t think that’s a race? or calling people ‘chinks’ is a racist slur on a group of people?

you’re even stupider than we thought


32 posted on 04/22/2022 7:44:29 AM PDT by Mr. K (No consequence of repealing obamacare is worse than obamacare itself)
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To: GonzoII

Brandan throwing gas on the fire.


33 posted on 04/22/2022 7:45:22 AM PDT by 1Old Pro
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To: GonzoII

Well that’s a smart move. Let the Russians know what is coming.


34 posted on 04/22/2022 7:47:09 AM PDT by Irish Eyes
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To: Mr. K

Nice double post, and no it’s a Nationality genius.

Who’s “we”? Are you Fauci?


35 posted on 04/22/2022 7:51:46 AM PDT by EEGator
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To: Mopp4

Guess it’s not secretive any more....

Every posted reply in FR has a red letter admonishment “Loose lips sink ships”..

Secrets are not secrets when someone has to brag about what they know. Or is it just stupidity? like calling your mom or girlfriend from the battlefield, or posting on fakebook.

Look what i know, look what i have, look where i am, look what I’m doing…


36 posted on 04/22/2022 7:55:19 AM PDT by drSteve78 (Je suis Deplorable STILL)
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To: Tallguy

The U.S. will deliver at least 121 of the new Phoenix Ghost tactical unmanned aerial systems to Ukraine as part of a new $800 million assistance package announced by Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby. But, what is the Phoenix Ghost?

...

The exact capabilities that Phoenix Ghost will offer to Ukraine are being kept under wraps, as Kirby declined to comment. But he did say the drone is “akin” to the Switchblade drone that the U.S. has already delivered to Ukraine.

Switchblades are often referred to as “kamikaze drones” or “loitering munitions” because they are capable of flying over a target before crashing and detonating in a precision strike. Different versions of the Switchblade can fly between 15 and 40 minutes, with a range from 10 to 40 kilometers.

The Phoenix Ghost is “designed for tactical operations,” Kirby said. “In other words, largely but not exclusively to attack targets. It, like almost all unmanned aerial systems, of course, has optics. So it can also be used to give you a sight picture of what it’s seeing, of course, but its principal focus is attack.”

Kirby later added that the drone is a one-way system, meaning it is not meant to be recovered.

https://www.airforcemag.com/air-force-rapidly-developed-a-new-drone-for-ukraine-phoenix-ghost/


37 posted on 04/22/2022 7:55:46 AM PDT by FarCenter
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To: GonzoII

I’m just wondering... is it even necessary to reveal this and let the enemy know what we have?

Do the Russians and Chinese reveal every secret weapon they have to journalists?


38 posted on 04/22/2022 7:57:24 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: GonzoII
Well that's so great, we have a great way to supplement Lockheed, Raytheon, Gen Dynamics, ... now if we can just make money on sat-com, weapons maintenance, training, logistics, network comms, .... additional radar, ... gee... I hope this war lasts a long time... just like our Deep State wants it to....

It's like a restaurant owner getting strong armed by a local thug... he goes to the local mob guy for protection and offers to make him a partner. The mob guy say, "he I really don't need to be a partner in a restaurant, what do I know about restaurants?.... "

The restaurant owner literally BEGS to be a partner with the mobster. Well once the mobster is a "partner", it runs up credit, screws the suppliers and steals everything that isn't bolted down... then torches the place for insurance money and walks away.... with tons of cash.

It is ALL about the money. All of it..... that's why when a democrat, RINO and the MSM yap about going to war.. grab your wallet and your son.... cause they're just part of their game.

Watch "Goodfellas" and it will give you a way of seeing Ukraine, Russia and our Deep State.

copy and paste this... it'll make you laugh.... just imagine the Ukraine as the restaurant owner with the bandage on his forehead.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxGjPCOpbv0

39 posted on 04/22/2022 8:32:13 AM PDT by Dick Vomer (2 Timothy 4:7 deo duce ferro comitantes)
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To: FarCenter

Yeah, I read the article an other than a single line from the spokesman saying it was ‘similar’ to the ‘Switchblade’ system the article only went into detail on Switchblade. So nobody really knows. Plus, I really doubt that the USAF would design a system that fires out of a mortar tube. That makes sense if you are sending a drone over the hill to sniff for the enemy... but there are established systems for that.


40 posted on 04/22/2022 8:32:57 AM PDT by Tallguy
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