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US Army orders 100 new SWITCHBLADE 600 31/10/2023 | Fabio Di Felice

The US Army has announced it has placed an initial order for more than 100 AeroVironment’s SWITCHBLADE 600 loitering munitions for testing and fielding activities.

The US service chose the AV drone to address its new lethal unmanned systems requirement as part of the Low Altitude Stalking and Strike Ordnance (LASSO) program. The head of Army acquisition, Douglas Bush, added that the new weapons system is intended to arm the service’s infantry brigade combat teams, enabling soldiers to engage targets, armored included, up to 39 km away. He did not disclose information regarding the delivery timeline of those drones as well as the testing campaign.

Moreover, it is still not clear if this order is a partial restocking of the many SWITCHBLADE sent to Ukraine in aid packages, as confirmed by the Defense Department which said to have provided “over 700 SWITCHBLADE Tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems,” by February 2023. This kind of drone represents the next generation of extended-range loitering munitions, delivering unprecedented Reconnaissance Surveillance Target Acquisition (RSTA) support and featuring high-precision optics, 10 minutes for being set up, over 40 minutes of loitering endurance, and an anti-armor warhead for engaging larger, hardened targets at greater distances. As reported by the producing company, it is equipped with class-leading, high-resolution EO/IR gimbaled sensors and advanced precision flight control, SWITCHBLADE 600 fire supports the warfighter with quick and easy deployment via tube-launch, and the capability to fly, track, and engage non-line-of-sight targets and armored vehicles with precision lethal effects without the need for external ISR or fires assets. Patented wave-off and recommit capability allow operators to abort the mission at any time and then re-engage either the same or other targets multiple times based on operator command. Whether it’s from fixed defensive positions, combat vehicles with integrated organic precision fire, or air-launched applications. Its cost per unit is still unknown, however, it is likely to be between its smaller cousin SWITCHBLADE 300’s $80,000 and the JAVELIN’s $176,000, according to the American media.

The US Army is taking the loitering munition systems seriously, not only in purchasing and offensive terms but also in the defensive perspective. Indeed, it is one of the main reasons for the service changing course on its M1 ABRAMS modernization programs, in order to have a fully integrated active protection system, probably a directed- energy system, and address simultaneous multi-threats, as confirmed by Bush.

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