Russia shoots down US‑made disruptor drone in Ukraine skies
The Russians have successfully shot down a mysterious drone supplied to Ukraine by the USA. Here’s a look at the Disruptor from the Phoenix Ghost family.
1:44 PM EST, November 25, 2024
The Ukrainians are deploying a variety of drones from across the globe, ranging from improvised solutions with varying levels of advancement to more sophisticated drones from Europe and the USA. The Disruptor drones, part of the Phoenix Ghost family, are from the latter group, specifically designed for Ukraine by AEVEX Aerospace.
They were designed as a cost-effective means to attack soft targets using a fragmentation warhead. According to the portal Breaking Defense, they are based on the Switchblade 600 drones. Despite their simplicity, these drones are designed to resist GPS signal jammers. Unfortunately, analyzing any wreckage could enhance the effectiveness of Russian electronic warfare systems in the future.
Phoenix Ghost: budget-friendly flying killers from the USA
The drones from the Phoenix Ghost family are equipped with a 49-pound fragmentation warhead shaped like a cylinder, made from a deeply scored steel tube. Inside, there is an explosive charge, possibly with an additional load of tungsten balls—a popular development direction in recent years. This design aims to create a fragmentation impact area of several dozen yards.
The drone's body is made from composite materials to reduce weight, allowing for a larger fuel reserve for the internal combustion engine that drives the two-blade pusher propeller. Notably, the engine used is a small two-cylinder unit in a boxer configuration. This type is popular among model builders because it doesn't require liquid cooling; adequate airflow over the side-mounted cylinders is enough. This allows the drone a range of 373 miles and the ability to remain airborne for up to 4.5 hours.
Additionally, the guidance system relies on GPS and INS navigation and can navigate using terrain mapping data from a daytime or thermal camera. As a result, the drone is conceptually similar to the Shahed but is tailored for combat operations.
The drone's core is its flight controller, a Cube Orange+ module with a dual-core STM32H757 processor clocked at 400 MHz. This highlights the extensive use of off-the-shelf components, facilitating reduced production costs compared to custom-designed systems.
