According to a senior US defense official, initial versions were broadly similar to the AeroVironment Switchblade,[1] but later designs were larger and more capable.
[2] The Phoenix Ghost's primary purpose is to deliver an explosive munition to a human-selected target.
[4] In October 2024, Aevex revealed that Phoenix Ghost wasn't a single drone, but an effort that produced several designs of different sizes and configurations.
Examples include:[2] In April 2022, the United States Department of Defense stated that the Ghost was developed before the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine and that it was a "close match" for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the battle of Donbas.
[5][6] It was later revealed that the Phoenix Ghost was a project under the Big Safari weapons program.