Phoenix Ghost
OEM: AEVEX Aerospace
First Produced: 2022
Status: Active
Role: Tactical loitering munition
Primary Operator: Ukrainian Armed Forces (U.S.-provided) / U.S. Air Force
OEM Website: aevex.com
Phoenix Ghost is a loitering munition developed by AEVEX Aerospace for the U.S. Air Force and unveiled publicly in April 2022 when the Biden administration announced an initial tranche for Ukraine. Officials have described it as similar in mission to the Switchblade but tailored to Ukrainian tactical requirements, with a longer endurance reported to be around six hours and an ability to strike targets at night using a thermal seeker.
Several thousand Phoenix Ghost airframes have been provided to Ukraine across successive presidential drawdown packages, and the system illustrates the rapid-prototyping model the Air Force now uses to field attritable autonomous weapons. AEVEX remains better known for its ISR services business, but Phoenix Ghost has positioned the company as a significant loitering-munition supplier.
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