Mystery 'Ghost Drone' Now Seeking Russian Targets

If everything goes right when Ukrainian troops deploy a secretive new drone from the US, the device will not return. Instead, the Phoenix Ghost drone will hover stealthily in the air, detect a Russian target below, then attack in a kamikaze-like strike. The Pentagon is being relatively tight-lipped about the new weapon. Some details:

• Similar: A different US military drone already deployed in Ukraine is the Switchblade, and the Pentagon says the Phoenix Ghost is in the ballpark, reports Task & Purpose. The Switchblade is small and light, able to be carried in a soldier's backpack, and has an explosive built in.
• Differences: The Phoenix Ghost, however, has differences "in scope of capability" from the Switchblade, says Pentagon spokesman John Kirby. A safe bet is that the Phoenix Ghost can stay in the air longer, go faster, and pack a bigger punch, perhaps with multiple explosives, according to CNN.

• Landscape: The drone was in development before the Russian invasion, but it's said to be perfectly suited for what Ukraine needs as it tries to fend off troops in the eastern Donbas region, per Tribune News Service. This is "flat, open territory similar to California's Central Valley," meaning terrain tailor-made for drone use. The device was made by Aevex Aerospace of Solana Beach, Calif.
• The name: So why is it called the Phoenix Ghost? "I have no idea," says Kirby, per the Drive. "I do not know." However, the "ghost" part might be because the relatively small weapon should be difficult to see in cloud cover typically found in Ukraine at this time of year, notes TNS. The drone can be used for reconnaissance only, but its primary mission is not just to find targets but to attack them.
• Numbers: The US is sending 121 of the drones to Ukraine, "an oddly specific, yet mysteriously vague number," per the Drive, which also digs in to these types of "loitering munition" devices. The US has sent 400 Switchblades as well.

(More Russia-Ukraine war stories.)