With its previously highly secretive Phoenix Ghost family of kamikaze drones now having emerged fully into the light, AEVEX Aerospace has been more openly discussing their capabilities. One especially interesting detail has now emerged: the different Phoenix Ghost types can be configured to launch attacks straight down while passing overhead, akin to an air-bursting artillery shell, rather than having to careen into their targets and detonate.
The top-down attack capability was a particular highlight of a Phoenix Ghost promotional video AEVEX released earlier this month, seen below. The footage was captured during Northern Strike 24-2, a joint-service exercise the Michigan National Guard led this past summer that included a variety of air, ground, and maritime components, including JSX-2 microjets masquerading as cruise missiles and drones. AEVEX had offered its first official details about the Phoenix Ghost family, originally developed as part of an effort under the Air Force’s Big Safari special projects office and then rushed to Ukraine in the wake of Russia’s invasion in 2022, last month. Information about the drones, or even what they looked like, had been extremely closely guarded before then.
AEVEX brought three types of Phoenix Ghost drones – the Dagger, Dominator, and Disruptor – to Northern Strike 24-2. There is evidence of all three of these types being in service in Ukraine. At least one other member of the family, the Atlas, is known to exist, but it is unclear if Ukrainian forces have received them in addition to the other types.
“The Dagger is actually one of our earliest designs,” a member of AEVEX says in the video. “So, 55 pounds with a little bit of a smaller warhead and really going about 100-150 kilometers [range-wise]. … a small unit can operate it and make a difference on the battle space in specific tactical scenarios.”
The remains of a Dagger kamikaze drone, one member of the Phoenix Ghost family, launched by Ukrainian forces. via X
The Dominators are … really our heavy truck system that’s out there,” that same individual continues. “[It has] 100 pounds worth of payload [and] flies over five hours. [It] really can take a lot of whatever you want to carry a long way or loiter over a particular area for a long time.”
When it comes to Dominator, a picture, seen below and said to have been taken in Russia proper, emerged earlier this year showing what looks to be one of the drones. However, questions have been raised about whether this might be a locally-produced derivative of some kind given that the U.S. government had imposed, at least publicly, significant restrictions on Ukrainian forces using American-made munitions to attack targets inside Russian territory at that time. Certain exceptions and caveats were known to exist at the time. Drones can stray far from planned flight paths for various reasons, as well. American authorities have more recently loosened the restrictions in question.
The wreckage of a one-way attack drone — which looks to be the Dominator, or a derivative of it — used to attack Russia earlier this year. via X
“The Disruptor is really a simple design with a lot of capability,” he adds. “So, it’s a simple design in terms of manufacturing. It’s also a simple design in terms of operations. So, very easy to put together out in the field, but still with – now you’re talking about 50 pounds payload to be able to carry that again, five to six hours [in terms of endurance]. So, still packs quite a punch.”
In terms of “punch,” the AEVEX video shows all three designs conducting top-down attacks using blast fragmentation warheads that shower their targets in deadly shrapnel. Pictures, seen in the social media post below, that recently emerged of the remains of Disruptor launched by Ukrainian forces show the warhead section in that drone featured a pre-scored ‘sleeve’ designed to break into fragments after detonation.
Top-down air-bursting attacks offer significant benefits over a point-detonating design, especially when it comes to engaging personnel or unarmored targets in trenches or otherwise behind cover. They can be very effective against various targets out in the open, including aircraft and air defense systems, and soft-skinned vehicles, and offer more of an area effect, in general.
It was not obvious initially, but the earlier AEVEX promotional video seen below contains additional views of the Phoenix Ghost family’s top-down attack profile.
Whether other warhead types, such as ones with greater anti-armor capability, are available for the Phoenix Ghost family or might be in development is unknown, but would also fit well with the top-down mode of attack. The tops of tanks and other armored vehicles are typically where they are most vulnerable. The growing specter of top-down attacks, including by drones and specially designed anti-tank guided missiles, is already having impacts on the design of new defensive capabilities for armored vehicles. Earlier this year, Israeli defense contractor Rafael unveiled a new version of its combat-proven Trophy active protection system (APS) with features to help defeat threats from above.
“We haven’t really gotten into anti-tank or anti-armor, just because it’s not been a requirement for us,” Elizabeth Trammell, senior director of business development at AEVEX, did tell TWZ at AUSA back in October. “A lot of our aircraft, we had the base capability and then our customers came in and said, ‘This is what we want.’”
It is still not clear exactly how Phoenix Ghost drones know where and when to detonate their warheads, if they can engage moving targets, or if they can execute attacks in other modes. “AEVEX loitering munitions automatically detect, identify, locate, report (DILR) and deliver lethal and non-lethal effects against threats across multiple scenarios and domains with unprecedented accuracy and speed” and are able to “navigate, make decisions, and complete missions without direct intervention,” according to the company’s website.
As already noted, Daggers and Disruptors have clearly been employed in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, and Dominators look to be in use, too. With the details that have emerged so far, experts and observers now know what to look for and have also gone back and identified imagery of many previously unknown drones as members of the Phoenix Ghost family.
1. Mystery solved, sort of. Early in 2024 a number of strange drones crashed in russia: a typical wreckage is shown here. I spent a lot of time trying to determine who made these but recently the manufacturer publicity announced this drone
13. At this point the story would normally end – except for one detail. The crashed drones’ propellers had the word “Front” handwritten on them. This exact same writing appeared on propellers of a different drone. This meant they were almost certainly made by the same company. pic.twitter.com/NU5Tvsyo7U
16. This drone is the Dagger also by Aevex. These drones have been in Ukraine since at least January, 2023 and significant advances in their designs have been observed. The flight control board has seen several iterations so the information shown here is likely out-of-date. pic.twitter.com/NCP2abSlSJ
AEVEX has also said it is actively pursuing new Phoenix Ghost sales opportunities, which could well come along with further developments for the entire family, beyond the conflict in Ukraine. Regardless, now that the kamikaze drones have come out of the shadows, more insights into their capabilities, including their modes of attack, seem likely to continue emerging.
