This article is about the production loitering munition UAV. For the cancelled UAV, see Northrop Grumman Switchblade.
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AeroVironment Switchblade
Switchblade 300 launched by a US Army soldier
Type
Loitering missile
Place of origin
United States
Service history
In service
2011–present
Used by
United States Army, United States Marine Corps, Armed Forces of Ukraine
Wars
War in Afghanistan (2001-2021) American-led intervention in Iraq (2014–2021) 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
Production history
Designed
2010
Manufacturer
AeroVironment
Unit cost
$52,914 (Switchblade300, FY2023) [1]
Produced
2011–present
Variants
Switchblade300, Switchblade600, Blackwing
Specifications
Mass
2.5 kg (5.5 lb) (Switchblade300) 15 kg (33 lb) (Switchblade600)
Length
49.5 cm (19.5 in) (Switchblade300) 130 cm (51 in) (Switchblade600)
Diameter
76 mm (3 in) (Switchblade300) 150 mm (6 in) (Switchblade600)[2]
Operational range
10 km (6.2 mi) or 15min (Switchblade300) 40 km (25 mi) or 40min (Switchblade600)
Flight altitude
<150 m (500 ft)
Maximum speed
Model 300: 101 km/h (63 mph) (cruise); 160 km/h (100 mph) (dash) Model 600: 113 km/h (70 mph) (cruise); 185 km/h (115 mph) (dash)
Guidance system
Autonomous; manual
Launch platform
Portable tube; multipack; assorted vehicles
References
[3][4][5]
The AeroVironment Switchblade is a miniature loitering munition designed by AeroVironment and used by several branches of the United States military. 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. The name Switchblade comes from how the spring-loaded wings are folded inside a tube and flipped out once released.[2]
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. The Blackwing, an unarmed variant of the Switchblade300, was released in 2015. More than 700 Switchblade 300 drones were sent to Ukraine by the United States as part of an arms package after the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[6]
^"The U.S. Army Won't Buy Any More Switchblade 300 Kamikaze Drones". 25 April 2023. Archived from the original on 28 April 2023. Retrieved 28 April 2023. Quote: In the 2022 budget, the cost for a single all-up round – the airframe, sensors, integrated guidance, warhead, data link, and launcher – was $58,063. In the 2023 budget, it was $52,914. There is a belief that this is the cost for 10 Switchblades; there is no foundation for this myth.
^ abMoncourtois, Alyce; Hush, Brett (November 20, 2020). "Switchblade: From Gun-Launched UAV to Precision Strike Loitering Missile System" (PDF) (press release). AeroVironment. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 6, 2022. Retrieved March 17, 2022.
^"Kamikaze drones: A new weapon brings power and peril to the U.S. military". NBC News. 6 December 2021. Archived from the original on 2022-03-17. Retrieved 2022-03-16.
^Reim, Garrett (2020-03-05). "AeroVironment starts flight testing larger Switchblade with greater range". Flight Global. Archived from the original on 2021-06-16. Retrieved 2022-03-16.
^"Switchblade 300 - Tactical Missile System". AeroVironment. Archived from the original on 16 May 2022. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
^"Fact Sheet on U.S. Security Assistance for Ukraine". U.S. Department of Defense. Archived from the original on 2022-05-11. Retrieved 2022-05-12.
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