As Russia regroups and intensifies its attacks on Ukraine’s southeastern and eastern regions, Ukraine’s so-called ally the United States (US) pledged more military support for Russia’s neighbor.
Ukrainian forces are also buoyed by the minor successes it has achieved and the sinking of the Moskva also boosted the morale of its forces. Pushing back the Russian army from Kyiv has also given them extra incentive to defend the southern, eastern and southeastern regions of Ukraine till the last man.
As the Russian army faces troubles in urban warfare, as suggested by news agencies in their reports, the Ukrainian armed forces are now relying on drones which can damage Russian armoured vehicles and tanks. After reports surfaced that Turkish Bayraktar drones were used to sink Moskva, Ukraine ordered more unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and drones to bolster its response to the re-energized Russians.
The US is helping out by sending powerful drones to assist Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. His counterpart Joe Biden announced that the US will send 72 155mm Howitzers, 72 tactical vehicles and 144,000 artillery rounds to Ukraine. The added elements are dozens of “Phoenix Ghost” drones and the newest model Switchblade drones armed with tank-busting warheads. The dive-bombing Switchblade drones are developed by AeroVironment Inc. while the Phoenix Ghost is developed by AEVEX Aerospace.
The Switchblade drones are designed to attack personnel and light vehicles. Operated using a tablet-based touchscreen fire-control system along with an option to also pilot the loitering missile manually the Switchblade drones can fly upto 39kms and loiter above the target for more than 40 minutes.
The Phoenix Ghost drones are a part of the US Air Force’s inventory and according to Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby has both similar to and distinct capabilities compared to the Switchblade drones. The AEVEX Aerospace developed drones have optical abilities to aid in strikes against enemy forces and can help in fighting a variety of targets, people familiar with the developments told news agency Bloomberg.
The US earlier sent Switchblade drones series-300 and on Thursday sent new series-600 drones to bolster Ukraine’s defences. The US Air Force and the Pentagon are also fast-tracking the development of drones so that lethal military assistance can be contracted directly from industry rather than sending from the current stocks.
(with inputs from Bloomberg)
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