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Marine launches Switchblade drone
A US Marine launches a Switchblade drone during an exercise in 2020.US Marine Corps/Cpl. Jennessa Davey
  • The US is sending billions of dollars to Ukraine.

  • More US-made anti-aircraft and anti-tank missiles are included in the latest aid package.

  • 100 Switchblade drones are designed for one-way missions against enemy targets.

Weapons that can take a toll on invading Russian forces are included in the latest package of US 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.

The Switchblade tactical drones could make life harder for Russian troops.

The Switchblade

Marine with Switchblade drone
A US Marine prepares a Switchblade during an exercise on March 3.US Marine Corps/Lance Cpl. Ryan Ramsammy

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.

The Switchblade 300 has an explosion charge the size of a Claymore mine and is designed to take out infantry and artillery targets.

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.

Marines with Switchblade 300 drone
A US Marine with a Switchblade 300 drone in 2019.US Marine Corps/Cpl. Timothy J. Lutz

The US Special Operations Command has been using the Switchblade 300 since the early 2010s, and in September it awarded the military contractor 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 take them out. 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.

AeroVironment received the SOCOM contract and the company's vice president 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.

Loitering munitions vs. drones

U.S. airmen prepare a U.S. Air Force MQ-9 Reaper drone as it leaves on a mission at Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan March 9, 2016. Picture taken March 9, 2016. REUTERS/Josh Smith
US airmen prepare an MQ-9 Reaper drone for a mission in Afghanistan in 2016.Thomson Reuters

The difference between loitering munitions and large drones is that the former is expendable and the latter is 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 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.

The original article is on Business Insider.

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