The Phoenix Ghost, a previously undisclosed loitering munition developed by AEVEX Aerospace and used by Ukraine since 2022, was publicly revealed last week at the Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA) symposium in Washington, D.C. First announced in April 2022 as part of an $800 million U.S. aid package to Ukraine, the drones’ details and capabilities remained classified until now, sparking widespread interest in their tactical applications on the battlefield.
TWZ: #Aevex reveals the covert Phoenix Ghost kamikaze drones, now in Ukraine’s arsenal. These drones boast advanced navigation capabilities and can function even without GPS. #PhoenixGhost #Ukraine #Drones #KamikazeDrones #DefenseTech #RussiaUkraineWar #Ukraine️ pic.twitter.com/bGeN8yUnWe
— ECHOMONITOR360 (@EchoMonitor360) October 18, 2024
AEVEX’s reveal at AUSA showed that Phoenix Ghost is a diverse family of loitering munitions, designed for a range of tactical functions, rather than a single model. Elizabeth Trammell, Senior Director of Business Development at AEVEX, told The War Zone that the company had “received specific permission” to present the drones publicly, confirming that the Phoenix Ghost system has “been around for a while,” though previously kept confidential.
The Phoenix Ghost family includes distinct models, each tailored for specific operational roles. The Disruptor, the largest of the models, features a solid rocket booster and can reach up to 600 kilometers. With an alternative Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI) option, Disruptor’s range can extend to 1,300 kilometers with an endurance of approximately 11 hours. The Dominator, another model in the series, is suited for shorter-range missions, with configurations for either a catapult launch or rocket booster. Dominator’s design allows for operation in GPS-denied areas, using navigation systems that bypass reliance on standard GPS, an essential feature in electronic warfare-heavy environments.
According to AEVEX’s website, the Phoenix Ghost drones employ visual-based navigation, enabling them to autonomously track landmarks and avoid GPS reliance. This capability is critical on GPS-jammed battlefields, where the drones use alternative Position, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) systems to ensure precise operations under electronic warfare conditions.
