““Revolution in warfare.” The US declassified how they helped Ukraine make UAVs more effective and deadly — NYT January 17, 4:16 p.m. Share: Danylo, UAV operator of the combined unit of the 153rd OMBr (Photo: 153rd Separate Mechanized Brigade / Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine) Most of the US aid by the Ukrainian military was revealed to the public, but other support mostly remained in the shadows — it included participation in development”, — write on: ua.news
Danylo, an air defense operator of the combined unit of the 153rd OMBr (Photo: 153rd Separate Mechanized Brigade / Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine)
Much of the U.S. aid to the Ukrainian military has been disclosed to the public, but other support has remained mostly in the shadows, including involvement in the development of a new generation of drones and a revolutionary change in the way wars are waged.
The New York Times wrote about this on Friday, January 17, indicating that the administration of the current US President Joe Biden declassified the last part of the information on aid to Ukraine – data on its secret support for the production of military drones.
“The development of a new generation of drones has revolutionized the way wars are waged,” writes the NYT, according to US officials.
The publication notes that the US has made major investments that have helped Ukraine begin and expand drone production to counter Russia’s larger and better-equipped army of occupation.
In addition to technical support, the U.S. has spent significant funds, including $1.5 billion sent last September, to increase drone production in Ukraine, officials said.
US President Joe Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said there was little support “real strategic influence” on the course of the war, writes the NYT. Sullivan emphasized that UAVs are becoming increasingly important on the battlefield in Ukraine and will play a central role in all future battles.
In addition to money to support drone manufacturers and purchase parts, the United States also sent American intelligence officers to Ukraine to assist the military in developing a UAV production program.
The Biden administration has also worked to establish ties between American technology companies and Ukrainian UAV manufacturers.
These efforts helped make Ukrainian drones more effective and deadly. U.S. officials said Ukraine’s naval drones had destroyed a quarter of Russia’s Black Sea fleet, and front-line drones had helped slow the occupiers’ advance in the east.
In April 2022, it was reported that the United States had developed a new Phoenix Ghost unmanned aerial vehicle system specifically to meet the needs of Ukraine. At the time, the Pentagon said that the new US aid package for Ukraine included more than 121 Phoenix Ghost systems.
In November 2022, military expert Oleh Zhdanov said on Radio NV that the Phoenix Ghost drone is a new generation Switchblade. It has three options — fragmentation, cumulative and reconnaissance. This is a kamikaze drone that can stay in the air for up to 6 hours, and the range of its use is up to 40 km.
On December 28, 2024, the Minister of Defense Rustem Umyerov announced that among all drones received by the Defense Forces of Ukraine in 2024, 96.2% were of domestic production.
He noted that in 2024, Ukraine has significantly developed its defense-industrial complex, in particular the UAV industry. According to Umerov, the production of drones has reached an unprecedented scale.
On January 11, 2025, the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyi, after a meeting of the Stavka, instructed to increase the number of orders for drones for the Defense Forces.