Ukrainian Army will receive Switchblade 600 kamikaze drones, which can significantly enhance their ability to eliminate Russian invaders’ military targets behind the frontline on the occupied territories.
As reported by Newsweek, Charlie Dean, vice president of global business development and marketing at defence company AeroVironment, Ukraine will get the modernised Switchblade 600s while it is using the Switchblade 300s.
Switchblade 600 has a range of 88 km and can carry various types of ammunition
The United States has previously provided Ukraine with several types of drones in military aid packages, including the Switchblade and Phoenix Ghost. The US has delivered Switchblade 300 drones to Ukraine and will now provide several batches of the Switchblade 600.
Switchblades have been under development for over a decade. The original 300 model is still being refined and updated, and its latest version has a range of over 20 km and can fly for over 20 minutes.
The larger Switchblade 600 is designed to destroy enemy tanks and armoured vehicles scattered across the battlefield. The latest models can fly for over 40 minutes at over 110 km per hour.
“The 600 model gives Ukrainian operators a range of about 55 miles (88km – ed.), which means they can destroy critical Russian targets far behind Russian front lines, which other weapons cannot do to that extent,” Dean said.
Switchblade 600 will help the Ukrainian Army strike at Russian invaders’ positions far behind the frontline.
Switchblade is a US-made kamikaze drone that can act as a manoeuvrable missile
Switchblade unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are one of the developments of the American company AeroVironment. Their peculiarity is that they can act as a manoeuvrable missile.
Switchblade can perform steep manoeuvres in the air and has good control characteristics. It is equipped with wings that allow it to fly to a remote target and attack it.
In addition, the Switchblade can be equipped with various types of ammunition, including fuzed projectiles, making it an effective weapon on the battlefield. This drone also has a compact size and relatively low weight, making it portable and easy to deploy in the field.
AeroVironment is learning from the fighting in Ukraine. Constant communication between the company and Switchblade operators in Ukraine allows them to improve or adjust drone designs within weeks. This allows for continuous improvement of the Switchblade drone.
