The US Is Sending “Suicide Drones” to Ukraine

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The robot dogs are already here. Now, it appears that the drones from Slaughterbots have finally arrived to the scene as well.

 

Headed out to Ukraine in the next weapons shipment is the Phoenix Ghost kamikaze drone system. While most of the details around this weapon are veiled in secrecy, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby has stated that the system is akin to the Switchblade kamikaze drone system.

What is the Switchblade kamikaze drone system? 

Manufactured by Arlington, Virginia, AeroVironment, Switchblade drones are tube-launched suicide drones equipped with explosive warheads. As of this writing, two varieties of the Switchblade system are available the 300 model series and the 600 model series.

The Switchblade 300 is a 5.5-pound, backpackable explosive suicide drone that appears to be designated for anti-personnel purposes. The drone can fly for up to 15 minutes and up to 10 km in distance. Real-time GPS coordinates and video are provided by the drone so that it can be flown into the intended target.

The 600 series is a 50-pound suicide drone that is used primarily for anti-armor purposes, though AeroVironment states that it can be used for anti-personnel uses as well. It has a range of upwards of 90 km and can fly for upwards of 40 minutes.

(AeroVironment also makes a “loitering” observation drone known as the Blackwing that also appears to be backpackable – weighing only four pounds.)

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What has been said about the Phoenix Ghost?

The best official source of information we have about the secretive new drone is from John Kirby, Pentagon spokesman.

He said, “Without getting into the specifications, but the kinds of things this drone can do lend itself well to this particular kind of terrain.”

He went on to add, “I think I’m just going to leave it at that. But its purpose is akin to that of the Switchblade…which is basically a one-way drone, an attack drone. And that’s essentially what this is designed to do.”

Kirby also said, “It can also be used to give you a sight picture of what it’s seeing, of course. But its principal focus is attack,” and that “We will continue to move that development in ways that are attuned to Ukrainian requirements for unmanned aerial systems of a tactical nature in eastern Ukraine.”

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What can we deduce about the Phoenix Ghost?

The secrecy around the Phoenix Ghost system will likely soon be unveiled to the world. It’s unlikely that this is anything more than another explosive-warhead drone. The only specialized features that are liable to differentiate this weaponized drone from the Switchblade are within the software and defensive measures that the Phoenix Ghost is capable of.

At the bare-bones level, this is likely just another tube-launched suicide drone. There is the possibility that facial recognition is utilized within the drone (making for lower collateral damage – just use social media to create a facial recognition database of known Russian soldiers so that Ukrainian civilians are hit by accident), but this possibility is based on conjecture, not fact. No official statements have been made suggesting this.

Phoenix Ghost drones are manufactured by Aevex, and the company is keeping details about their product under a tight wrap. There are no references to the drone anywhere on their website.

What response will we see?

At the micro-level, new forms of anti-drone technology are soon going to be used by the Russians. Perhaps the best example of this type of tech can be found from TRD Singapore, a company that specializes in anti-drone weaponry.

TRD Singapore produces a strange array of laser cannon-looking guns and backpack drone jammers, all with the specific purpose of drone hunting. Their Orion-10 system has currently been used in over 16 countries to hunt drones, and they recently sold over ten backpack drone jammers to an unknown entity in the United Arab Emirates.

Drone-on-drone, spoofing, hack attacks, and laser attacks are all utilized by the company’s products to engage in anti-drone warfare. Examples of some of their products can be seen HERE.

A new form of warfare now exists. 

UAVs were a complete game-changer, but the invention of backpackable, explosive-filled suicide drones is a completely different development from the release of the first Predator drone. A new form of warfare has now been created, and though these weapons have been utilized somewhat in isolated incidences throughout recent history, this is likely going to be the first confrontation the world will see where backpackable, anti-personnel drones will be used extensively.

A new class of soldiers will now be needed, the drone hunter, and this will impact militaries down to the squad level. Now, small bands of soldiers are not only going to have to be able to effectively defend themselves from drone attacks as they carry out their missions, but they’re also going to have to be able to launch small-scale drone attacks of their own, or they will be at a disadvantage.

The use of backpackable mini-anti-drone drones that can be rapidly deployed, new early alert systems, anti-drone drones that follow squads into action as a form of “shield,” rapid-deployment physical anti-drone shields (perhaps a quick-release steel mesh?) – these are all likely technologies in the very near future.

Russia is bound to craft their own suicide drones – if they don’t have them already – shipping them to the front lines en masse. Like the French at the Second Battle of Ypres in World War 1, you just entered a new stage of history.

 

What are your thoughts?

What do you think about this generation of weaponry? Do you think this will change the face of modern warfare? And do you think sending this technology to Ukraine will antagonize Russia further? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Jeff Thompson

Jeff Thompson

Jeff Thompson is an avid fisherman who likes to spend time sailing on his boat and reading while at sea.

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  • War is always the force that causes a lot of new technological developments.
    Unfortunately the US Military is getting lost in New advanced Technology. Eventually it will come back to bite them.
    I believe it was the Russians that said they could knock out the US GPS and military internet/ communications system based on satellites. They said they had a couple of backup systems, but we did not.
    Any way you look at it, the new direction to stop these weapons is to disrupt or disable the technology that enables them.
    WW3 is probably going to be more about disabling communications and modern technology than anything else. Rather than nuking targets, it will probably be about EMP type bursts and destroying space based communications and guidance platforms, including earth based computers and internet systems. This could include Solar power, because a lot of solar power is being used by the military to enable its field operations.
    This would then leave the world without most of the modern technology we rely upon.

    So as Preppers, we must consider what that would mean to us. What if they destroyed most, if not all, of the electrical based appliances and tools in that kind of war? What if the “new” weapons destroyed solar powered systems as well as grid based ones?
    Chances are that no world power will admit to what black work projects they have or what “doomsday” type weapons they might have come up with.
    So don’t place your faith or your survival on being off grid, or with solar power, because you never know what kinds of weapons are in development.

  • The west has been warned multiple times, we deserve whatever happens.
    The biden admin seems to be forcing a nuclear war or at least far more advanced fighting methods.

    Everything in ukraine could have been stopped at any point by restricting nato from moving east, again biden admin.. not biden because he’s alzheimers ridden.
    The war machine wants war and they will get it.
    “biden” could do that, we control nato through money, personnel and equipment but again, when they want war, war they will get.

    After WW2 the agreement to keep nato away from Russia was made, obviously not kept.
    Western aggression as simple as it is.

    Anyone remember the cuban missile crisis the USA had over Russian missiles in cuba? Russia has the same issue with us and ukraine now.
    Pretty easy to understand including the massive wealth redistribution going on.
    33 billion they want to send over.. when we can’t get decent roads and bridges.

    • Deserve it? Waddya mean “we”? We are civilian hostages to the criminal gangs that infest the halls of power today. Moscow recognizes we’re the human shields that prevent them from leveling the playing field, so to speak. Otherwise DC, NY, Brussels and London would already have been incinerated.

      As for the Wunderwaffen toys that Grumman and Martin Marietta are dreaming up, half the terror value is in PR. These drones can’t commit suicide, they’re not kamikaze weapons, they’re just machines, artillery with GPS backup. Governments do fine blowing up their enemies with howitzer shells, this super duper techno weapon is just another tool in their Wayfair Cabinet of destruction. The tech is cool, but morally empty, just like the guys pushing the buttons.

      Best plan is to be out of the way when the shit comes down over a city near you. As PJF says, come out of her my people, lest you partake in her plagues (Revelations 18:4).

    • The Cuban Missile Crisis points out the total hippocracy of the U.S. and is completely and intentionally minimized.

    • “Everything in ukraine could have been stopped at any point by restricting nato from moving east” Not true. This is Russian propaganda. The Russians, along with their ally communist China, have long prepared for this war. Putin’s goal is to establish a Russian empire that stretches from Vladivostok to Lisbon. This first step has not turned out as well as the Russians had expected.

      Just wait for this summer when the ground dries out allowing for tank maneuvers. At the same time the nukes will fly.

  • It is just too bad Russia does not just hit the usa pentagon and denver and dc with large megaton nukes and destroy them once and for all. That Putin refuses to do his job means this will continue on and on until Putin is finally dead and can be replaced by a man that will do his duty and WIPE OUT these nazi scum yankee pigs.

  • “suicide drones”

    saw this coming a decade ago. told people, “they’ll just send a drone to your retreat location”. they said “you’re stupid, we know economics and logistics and tactics!”

    they’ll have a data base of all property locations in the u.s. every location that is not confirmed to be under their control, or that is discovered and has no record, will get droned. you’re not going to be able to retreat, you’re going to have to fight.

    • It really gave me the creeps when obama sent his census minions around collecting gps coordinates for each address. Even out here in the boonies.

    • They even have free Google Earth pictures of your house, I can see almost everything on my property, I am in the process of changing some of that.

      • You can actually request that your property be removed from Google Earth. My advisor @ the vo-tec I went to had it done. She advised all of her students to do so.

    • Ever heard of a cave? By the way if they are so good how come Afghanistan is owned by the Taliban again hmmm?

      • if they are so good how come Afghanistan is owned by the Taliban again”

        because the ones behind all this don’t care about afghanistan. they care about controlling you, or eliminating you if they can’t.

  • Antagonize it for sure…..Russia will let their nukes fly because their whole premise has been to stop Nato from placing weapons on their border and so if they perceive a no win scenario, they will break the stalemate with two strategies. Nuclear strike on their main antagonist (The US) govt and trigger the forged treaty militaries of China, North Korea, Cuba, and several South American nations to invade conus while the Russians and Iranians concentrate on First strikes on Europe. That’s what using these killer flea strategies will accomplish.

  • Yes, yes, and yes, It will torq anybody off, Drones, and UAV’s started out as little spy model airplanes I worked on a few of the first models. And we, our team discussed all the possibilities and took notes. All of the possibilities are now here. Even the anti-drone net cannons. Hmmm what our little pea-picker brains can conjure up. I’m not regretful actually kind of proud. The reason why is that anything we can come up with, there are equals in other places around the world thinking up exactly the same thoughts. We are not alone in our thinking, somewhere in the world is your equal, I have to say if you get two or three equals togather in the same place they can come up with all kinds of fun and games. I am a HAM radio operator, I have talked with my equals in Russia, and other countries we are allowed to befriend on the air, It is very enlightning to realize how small and equallized thinking can be around the world. Things can be invented for GOOD, or EVIL, that’s also interesting, they are both four letter words.

  • HOREY,HOREY,america will soon be at WAR with all the countries who hate america,THATS ALL OF THEM,are you fools ready to meet your maker?THE US MILITARY will be using these drones at their soon to be coming vaccine ROAD BLOCKS,you won’t get away,UKRAINE is the test bed for americas dictatorship by your beloved hero’s in the police and military UNDER THE SON OF PERDITION.”OBAMA: yes after he kills TRUMP..you get SATANS SON,what joy for the COWARDS who claim to be men,WATCH as their drones blow your CHILDRENS HEAD OFF…Go back to watching Sports you losers,you’ll all soon be dead…Biden has CUT down the tree of freedom and liberty..its over for america..

  • YOU WILL NOT BE THANKING ME WHEN YOU SEE WHAT I JUST WARNED YOU OF COMING ON AMERICA,all your weapons are worthless if their NOT used,and they won’t be,theres no men to use them…YOU all will be hanging your head in shame as your taken away in chains,GOD help your children….

  • the bravery of being out of range.. Roger Waters song.. reminds me of this cowardly new warfare mankind is inventing and conducting.. what happened to the days when you actually confronted your enemy in close combat? Cowards they are, inventers of lies and demise, its SATANIC! How can the US be so stupid to get involved in this “special operation”? ashamed i am at mankind that they have let SATAN take over and rule, it could be so different – and it will in the end, in the mean time there will be much suffering due to stupidity, greed and pure evil..

  • My thoughts? They have been successful with it and it is as legitimate as they come now. So expect to be hunted down, spied on, tracked, and even KILLED by them.

    It’s up to you now to come up with counter-measures.

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