The US Air Force (USAF) has awarded an extension contract to AeroVironment to supply its Switchblade loitering munition systems to provide enhanced force protection and multiplication. But the new weapon has its weaknesses, as videos released by Russia reveal. The Switchblade 300 is a miniature loitering munition or suicide drone developed and designed by the American company AeroVironment. The Switchblade launches from a tube, flies to the target area, and crashes into its target while detonating its explosive warhead. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. On the 25 May a pretty comprehensive video showing the launch and targeting of a Switchblade, said to be on the eastern front was shared. [1], Introduced in 2011, the original Switchblade was rebranded the Switchblade300 after the much larger and very different Switchblade600 anti-armor variant was unveiled in 2020. Wahid Nawabi, CEO of AeroVironment, which makes Switchblade loitering munitions, told me in an interview the company has a dedicated production facility ready to make thousands of the weapons for Ukraine, if the U.S. government wants them. Switchblade 300 is propelled by an electric engine, so its small size and silent flight makes it extremely difficult to detect or try to intercept, enabling it to close in on a target at 160km/h. The only difference being the TOW doesn't loiter, but both have the same operator-in-the-loop characteristics. The Switchblade gained notoriety among soldiers using it and insurgents targeted by it. The US has also sent Ukraine more than 700 AeroVironment Switchblade drones - tube-launched weapons weighing around 3 kg that can be carried by a single soldier and can loiter for up to 15 minutes before hitting a target up to 10 kilometres away. This is a BETA experience. He believes this would make them more widely available across the U.S. military and make it easier to build up stockpiles, rather than just buying them as they are used up. Virtually Undetectable Wave-off Capability Optional Launch Platforms "Switchblade Kamikaze Drones: Russias Worst Nightmare?". Marines sometimes couldn't get support due to other units getting mission priority. [7][8][9] On 20 March 2012, the Army added $5.1 million, totaling $10 million. U.S. special forces have been using them for over ten years with virtually no information and no combat videos released. The Switchblade uses the same Ground Control Station as other AeroVironment drones including the Wasp, RQ-11 Raven, and RQ-20 Puma. The Switchblade loitering munitionalso known as a kamikaze or suicide dronehas been in use with the U.S. military for over a decade. Ukraine has two companies developing loitering munitions that have been publicly displaying their progress since 2019. But while the U.S. has sent over 5,000 Javelin anti-tank missiles and vast number of other weapons, it has only sent a few hundred loitering munitions. The FH-901 loiter munition or suicide drone Like other weapons in its class, it combines the characteristics of a small drone and guided missile. A touchscreen tablet-based fire control system can manually or autonomously control the Switchblade 600. The Switchblade is equipped with electro-optical and infra-red cameras which provide the operator with real-time video and can be directed by fly-by-radio frequency signal. It is designed as a "kamikaze," being able to crash into its target with an explosive warhead to destroy it. Footnote 4th May: Incidentally, Nawabi's family fled from Afghanistan in 1982 after the Soviet invasion, when he was just 12. Myth 2 : The U.S. Is Sending Thousands Of Switchblades, Not Hundreds. The system is easy and quick to set up and launch. Switchblade Loitering Munition Sept. 2021 These could be the answer to the Coast Guard's need to be able to defeat small, highly manueverable, high speed surface threats. They also extend the range at which non-state actors might be able to engage Coast Guard units. Switchblade 300 specification:Range: 10 kmEndurance: 15 minutesMax speed: 160 km/hWeight: 2.5 kgLength: 49.5 cmWingspans: 68.6 cmFlight ceiling: 4600 mFlight altitude: 150 mOrigin: USA. Follow this author to stay notified about their latest stories. This creates commonality and the potential for teaming of longer-endurance small UAVs to recon for targets, then having the Switchblade attack once they are identified with the same controller.It should be noted that the multi-pack launcher with remote control capability is also designed for Switchblade 300 drones. This is because of Switchblade system is supposedly a single control unit plus 10 launch tubes, a claim originating from inside sources quoted by reputable news sites such as this one and this one. [19][40], The larger Switchblade 600 loitering munition weighs 54.5kg (120lb) including the all-up round in the tube and FCS;[41] the AUR weighs 22.7kg (50lb), with the FCS consisting of a tablet and long-range antenna. This makes it unsuited for scouting roles, but it is useful for inexpensively engaging long-range targets and assisting in relieving units pinned down by enemy fire. Under the new contract, the company will deliver operational units of the Switchblade systems including engineering services and operator training. The only one that I know they got were the switchblades from the us. It is possible that they are being used against towed howitzer crews (Russia is using its own loitering munitions in this role) and unarmored multiple-rocket launcher trucks. Programs of record have an official status, and get a military designation, like the FGM The United States is providing hundreds of Switchblade systems to Ukraine to help the country in its battle against Russian invaders. According to a senior US defense official, it is broadly similar to the AeroVironment Switchblade. In a second video released by Ukrainian Special Forces, a Switchblade 300 is seen hitting a T-72B3 tank. [12], On the 6 May AeroVironment were awarded a contract modification worth nearly $18 million for Switchblade hardware production for a Foreign Military Sale to Ukraine. It could be argued that these systems, rather than a sophisticated loitering munition like the Switchblade 300, are arguably more cost effective, efficient, more versatile and easier to use. [46][47], The Switchblade 600 was developed for the Army Single Multi-Mission Attack Missile development program. [21] In March 2020, AeroVironment revealed it had flight tested the product the previous year. They could neutralize Russian artillery and. Small and Portable Munitions The Switchblade drone system is designed to be portable. A model of the AeroVironment Switchblade 300 loitering munition on display at the 2021 Association of the United States Army trade show in Washington, DC. For the cancelled UAV, see, Switchblade 300 launched by a US Army soldier. AeroVironment Demonstrates First-Ever Switchblade Loitering Missile Integration for Air Launched Effects from JUMP 20 Medium Unmanned Aircraft System. AeroVironment six cell Switchblade Launcher. In the early 2000s. [3] The US Department of Defense announced on 10 May that it would supply a total of 700 Switchblade systems, but did not state the split between 300s and the newer, more capable Switchblade 600s.[10]. The Switchblade 300 system can be carried inside of a rucksack, but the Switchblade 600 model is larger. It only has 15 minutes of endurance, but its speed is impressive - it cruises at 63 miles per hour with a top speed of 100 miles per hour when "dashing" to its target. [24][25], In March 2022, it was reported that the US was considering providing Switchblade drones to the Ukrainian armed forces following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. It should be just the first wave of loitering munitions for Kyiv. It is a tube-launched, rapidly deployable munition which can strike beyond-line-of-sight targets with precision at a range of up to 10km. One of the advantages and interesting points of the Switchblade 600 drone is that it can hunt targets with a much longer range than Javelin ATGM, but it costs less than a Javelin missile. The dimensions of these drones are so small that they can be carried in a backpack. Effects on Target Anti-Armor and Anti-Personnel Effects Link Range Threshold: 40 km It can be used for . Nawabi believes that the requirements for the current conflict exactly match what Switchblades were designed to do. This contract is estimated to be completed by 4 May, 2023. Switchblade was first revealed in 2005 and the Ukrainians are receiving at least a hundred of the Switchblade 300. The Russian Army Might Do The Same. Czech Tanks, U.S. And Dutch Money: Three Countries Team Up To Send A Whole Brigade Of T-72s To Ukraine, Why Boeing Believes It Has An Edge In Any New Air Force Tanker Competition, budget plans for purchasing just 525 of them. In 2019 an Israeli firm introduced the Firefly, a loitering munition UAV, which is portable enough for infantry to carry and continually reuse. more extended video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WZGXb0Cp_4[video & text: AeroVironment]The Switchblade 600 loitering missile system features an a. The Switchblade loitering munition was first developed for the U.S. military. This means the Switchblade has comparatively little visible effect, so when the first ever video of a Switchblade engagement appeared, some viewers were not impressed. Warhead: Javelin ATGM (anti tank) Endurance: ~40min Max range: 40km Cruise speed: 110km/h As Twitter user Kung Flu Panda pointed out It did exactly what it was supposed to do, shown in more detail in an annotated YouTube video. The UK is investing in Switchblade loitering munitions manufactured by AeroVironment, according to a US DoD contract published on 16 March. They could neutralize Russian artillery and destroy tank formations before they become a threat. The drone was not equipped with a warhead, but was successfully released and accurately steered toward a target. The United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) has acquired the Switchblade 600, an improved loitering munition compared to the Switchblade 300 made by AeroVironment. It may not be visually impressive but it can hit point targets that even a Javelin cannot reach. Its name stems from its folding wings, which switch back into position after launch. Russian forces recovered the remains. The dimensions of these drones are so small that they can be carried in a backpack. It is secured through onboard encrypted data links and Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Module GPS with a patented wave-off capability. It is designed to fly out to 40 km in 20 minutes, then loiter for another 20 minutes. Loitering munitions like the Switchblade 600 can find and destroy a tank from 25 miles away, giving a huge asymmetrical advantage to the defenders. The system is controlled manually or autonomously and uses a dedicated ruggedized laptop with a built-in mission planner (which is also pre-loaded with a simulator). Pentagon Blocks Contractor Push for Inflation Bailout, Ranking Airlines Based Only On Twitter Comments Is Highly Suspect, Russian Marines Are Getting Killed And Wounded By The Hundreds In Ukraine, As New USCG Icebreaker Breaks Shipyard, Bollinger Expected To Take Over Halter Marine, Buy Artillery Or Buy Coffins: The Russian Marine Corps Dire Choice As Its Troops Die In Record Numbers. Small enough to fit in a backpack, the Switchblade launches from a tube, flies to the target area, and crashes into its target while detonating its explosive warhead. Switchblade loitering munitions are essentially a combination of a reconnaissance drone and guided missile. While not game changers we have begun to see evidence of their use in the field and they are definitely an interesting new weapon. [42] The larger Switchblade could be fitted with an anti-tank warhead while having longer range and costing less than anti-tank missiles like the FGM-148 Javelin. The Switchblade 600 was developed for the Single Multi-Mission Attack Missile development program. Although Nawabi would not put it in quite such terms himself, clearly the current level of bureaucracy involved is not helping the quick and efficient supply of Switchblades to Ukraine. The design is scalable from 2 to 20 rounds and enables rapid reloading of less than 30 seconds per round. Human-portable unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) like the Raven or Puma can spot threats but lack weapons. Close air support takes time to arrive, is expensive to conduct, and risks collateral damage in urban areas. [14] One week later, the Pentagon gave the company a follow-on contract worth $6.6 million. Javelin control units are also reused, but one system is one shot. 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