Weapons that can take a toll on invading Russian forces are included in the latest package of US security assistance to Ukraine.
The US is sending security aid to Kyiv, which includes Javelin anti-tank weapons, FIM-92 Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, and AT-4 anti-tank unguided missiles, as well as grenade launchers, body armor, and tens of millions of bullets.
100 Switchblade tactical drones, also known as "kamikaze drones", that could make life for Russian troops much harder, are included in the latest package.
The Switchblade was developed to counter the Taliban in Afghanistan.
There are two versions of the Switchblade drone. The size of the munition they carry is what distinguishes them.
An anti-personnel mine made out of C-4 explosives and hundreds of small metal ball bearings is what the Switchblade 300 is designed to take out.
The Switchblade 300 can be launched from a small tube, similar to a mortar. It has a speed of 100 mph but a very short operational range of only 15 minutes, making it truly tactical.
The Switchblade 600 has a bigger charge. It has a bigger operational range of 40 minutes and a cruising speed of 70 mph, but it is also heavier at 120 pounds. The Switchblade 600 is designed to take out tanks and armored targets with an explosives charge similar to that of the Javelin anti-tank missile.
Both loitering munitions have an onboard sensor with aGPS to guide them to the target, and they can strike both mobile and stationary objects. If civilians approach the target, they have a function that allows the operator to abort a strike if the circumstances on the ground change.
The US Special Operations Command has been using the Switchblade 300 since the early 2010s, and in September it awarded AeroVironment a $20 million contract for the Switchblade 600.
We have been using Switchblades for a while. They put distance between the operator and his target. A Green Beret assigned to a National Guard unit told Insider that it was effective in Syria and Iraq.
On rare occasions, we would use switchblades to get them out of the way. The Green Beret, who was not authorized to speak to the media, said that it was a good option for urban warfare because it could be very precise.
In addition to carrying out strikes, Switchblades can gather tactical intelligence, conduct surveillance, do target acquisition, and provide reconnaissance for operators and help commanders develop better situational awareness on the battlefield.
After the company received the SOCOM contract, the vice president and product line general manager for the company said that the Switchblade 600 can track and engage non-line-of-sight targets and light armored vehicles with precision lethal effects.
The -600 model can be easily transported and deployed from fixed and mobile platforms, allowing operators to overwhelm targets while minimizing their exposure to enemy fire.
The difference between loitering munitions and large drones is that the former are expendable and the latter are designed to provide cheap and sustained intelligence-gathering and strike options to commanders.
There is no return for loitering after being fired. They are meant to solve problems for a small unit on the ground. In Afghanistan, a platoon of Army Rangers or Navy SEALs would use a Switchblade 300 to take out Taliban fighters who are escaping a compound on a motorbike.
Larger drones, such as the RQ-4 Global Hawk, are designed to provide near-constant coverage of the battlefield to allow commanders on the ground and back in headquarters to make more-informed decisions. Close air support or precision strikes can be provided by armed drones.
It is cheaper to loitering munitions. One of the Hellfire missiles that it fires costs over $100,000. A switchblade 300 costs $6,000.
Despite their different roles, both are cost-effective ways to track and attack opposing forces while reducing the risk to their operators.
A defense journalist specializing in special operations, a Hellenic Army veteran, and a graduate of the University of Baltimore, are some of the things that Stavros Atlamazoglou is.
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