Phoenix Ghost is an AEVEX Aerospace family of U.S. loitering munitions and one-way attack unmanned aircraft associated with urgent Ukraine security assistance. Public reporting and company material describe it as a family rather than a single fixed airframe, with disclosed AEVEX platforms ranging from Group II systems such as Atlas and Dagger to Group III systems such as Disruptor and the twin-boom Dominator.
Official U.S. releases document Phoenix Ghost systems supplied to and used by Ukrainian forces; SIPRI transfer data lists Phoenix Ghost Dagger, Atlas, Disruptor, and Dominator one-way attack drones transferred from the United States to Ukraine, while public official releases do not specify the exact Ukrainian variant mix.
Role detailsPublic material treats Phoenix Ghost as a program family rather than one fixed airframe. Official U.S. releases usually keep the variant mix undisclosed, while SIPRI and later reporting give more specific airframe names for transfers and service context.
| Airframe | Public class | Sourcing limit |
|---|---|---|
| Atlas | Group II precision-strike UAS | Official AEVEX specifications exist; SIPRI lists Phoenix Ghost Atlas transfers to Ukraine and public reporting links it to the smaller Phoenix Ghost tier. |
| Dagger | Group II fixed-wing UAS | Official AEVEX material gives Dagger specifications, SIPRI lists Phoenix Ghost Dagger transfers to Ukraine, and later reporting describes evidence of Ukrainian service. |
| Disruptor | Group III long-range UAS | Official specifications and reporting identify it as a larger Phoenix Ghost family design, and SIPRI lists transfers to Ukraine. |
| Dominator | Group III twin-boom loitering munition | Public reporting identifies it as a Group III Phoenix Ghost member and gives launch-weight, endurance, and range figures, while exact official Ukrainian delivery configurations remain qualified. |
Public sources describe Phoenix Ghost as a family or program spanning several AEVEX loitering-munition airframes; Ukrainian delivery configurations remain only partly public.
| Variant | Configuration | Designation notes |
|---|---|---|
| Atlas | Group II precision-strike UAS | AEVEX lists Atlas as a Group II autonomous precision-strike system; TWZ identifies Atlas as a smaller Phoenix Ghost family member while noting limited public detail on exactly which types Ukraine received. Sources: Atlas by AEVEX, Secretive Phoenix Ghost Kamikaze Drones Rushed To Ukraine Finally Come Out Of The Shadows |
| Dagger | Group II fixed-wing UAS | AEVEX describes Dagger as a fixed-wing Group II UAS for precision strike and target-support missions; SIPRI lists Phoenix Ghost Dagger transfers to Ukraine, and later TWZ reporting describes evidence of Dagger service in the same Phoenix Ghost family context. Sources: Dagger by AEVEX, Secretive Phoenix Ghost Kamikaze Drones Rushed To Ukraine Finally Come Out Of The Shadows, SIPRI Arms Transfers Database, Warheads In Phoenix Ghost Kamikaze Drones Blast Straight Down Like Air Burst Artillery Rounds, AEVEX Demonstrates Loitering Munitions Capabilities at Northern Strike 24-2 |
| Disruptor | Group III long-range precision-strike UAS | AEVEX lists Disruptor as a long-endurance, long-range precision-strike system, and public reporting identifies it as one of the larger Phoenix Ghost family designs. Sources: Disruptor | Precision Strike System by AEVEX, Secretive Phoenix Ghost Kamikaze Drones Rushed To Ukraine Finally Come Out Of The Shadows |
| Dominator | Group III twin-boom loitering munition | TWZ describes Dominator as a Group III Phoenix Ghost family member with a twin-boom layout, pneumatic and rocket-assisted launch weight configurations, and multi-hour endurance; public sources still qualify the exact Ukrainian delivery configuration. Sources: Aevex Reveals Phoenix Ghost Family Of One-Way Attack Munitions, Secretive Phoenix Ghost Kamikaze Drones Rushed To Ukraine Finally Come Out Of The Shadows, AEVEX Demonstrates Loitering Munitions Capabilities at Northern Strike 24-2, Warheads In Phoenix Ghost Kamikaze Drones Blast Straight Down Like Air Burst Artillery Rounds |
Defense One reported that 121 Phoenix Ghost tactical UAS were part of a U.S. security assistance package for Ukraine and quoted Pentagon descriptions of the weapon as a tactical one-way UAS.
Sources: Kyiv Asked for a New Kamikaze Drone to Fight Russia. The Air Force Delivered Phoenix Ghost
A U.S. defense announcement described procurement of up to 580 additional Phoenix Ghost tactical unmanned aircraft systems for Ukraine and stated that Ukrainian forces were using the system.
Sources: More HIMARS, Phoenix Ghost Drones Bound for Ukraine
TWZ reported AEVEX confirmation that Phoenix Ghost covered a family of one-way attack munitions, including Group II and Group III airframes with different ranges and payload classes.
Sources: Secretive Phoenix Ghost Kamikaze Drones Rushed To Ukraine Finally Come Out Of The Shadows
AEVEX described Dagger, Disruptor, and Dominator loitering munitions demonstrated at Northern Strike 24-2, adding official visual context for the company's larger loitering-munition line.
Sources: AEVEX Demonstrates Loitering Munitions Capabilities at Northern Strike 24-2
TWZ reported additional Phoenix Ghost attack-profile context, described evidence of Dagger, Disruptor, and Dominator in Ukrainian service, and cited AEVEX exercise footage describing Dominator as a heavier truck-launched system with more than five hours of endurance.
Sources: Warheads In Phoenix Ghost Kamikaze Drones Blast Straight Down Like Air Burst Artillery Rounds
Forbes reporting reprinted by the League of Ukrainian Canadians described the initial Phoenix Ghost production push as a 121-unit Dagger tranche under the Phoenix Ghost name.
Sources: The Mysterious Phoenix Ghost Drones Of The Ukraine War
