13 Facts About Switchblade drone

AeroVironment Switchblade drone is a miniature loitering munition, designed by AeroVironment and used by several branches of the United States military.

The backpackable, relatively inexpensive Switchblade drone has sensors to help spot enemy fighters and an explosive warhead to attack them from above, which is especially helpful in dug-in positions like rooftops or ridge lines.

The Switchblade drone is small enough to fit in a Marine's ALICE or MOLLE pack and locks onto and tracks a target once selected.

The Switchblade drone gained notoriety among soldiers using it and insurgents targeted by it.

The Switchblade drone was not equipped with a warhead, but was successfully released and accurately steered toward a target.

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The test showed that the Switchblade drone could be air-launched from the aircraft and add a remotely controlled, weaponized surveillance tool to the Osprey.

Switchblade drone 300 is designed as an expendable UAV to increase precision firepower for platoon-sized infantry units.

The Switchblade drone uses a color camera and GPS locating to identify, track, and engage targets, as well as being able to be pre-programmed on a collision course.

The Switchblade drone uses the same Ground Control Station as other AeroVironment UAVs including the Wasp, RQ-11 Raven, and RQ-20 Puma.

The Switchblade drone uses daytime and infrared cameras, as well as an "aided target tracker" to lock on to stationary and moving targets.

Interception of an enemy Switchblade drone occurs in layers of defenses: if a Switchblade drone gets through covering jet fighters or is too small to be targeted by them, it is picked up by the fire-finding radar.

Switchblade drone 600 was developed for the Army Single Multi-Mission Attack Missile development program.

Larger Switchblade drone could be fitted with an anti-tank warhead while having longer range and costing less than anti-tank missiles like the FGM-148 Javelin.