The Switchblade 300 was originally introduced in 2011 as a backpackable air support weapon for US Army foot soldiers. Unlike other drones, the Switchblade 300 can loiter in the air until its sensors acquire a target, then destroy it using a built-in warhead that delivers a forward-firing shotgun blast effect to minimize collateral damage.
In 2022, the Switchblade 300 came to public prominence when the US sent 700 to Ukraine to combat the Russian invasion. The need to replenish US munitions while supplying additional drones to Ukraine has prompted AeroVironment to abandon the Block 10C for the more advanced Block 20.
The Switchblade 300 Block 20 is designed for small expeditionary units and is intended to be carried and operated by a single soldier using a tablet-based Fire Control System that also serves as a training aid. The combination storage tube/launcher can put the 4-lb (2-kg) drone into the air in less than two minutes, and the system can be launched from land, sea, and mobile platforms.
Once in the air, the new Switchblade has a top speed of 100 mph (160 km/h) and a flight endurance of 20 minutes - five minutes more than the previous version. It has a better Digital Data Link (DDL) range, a new EO/IR panning camera suite to provide real-time video of targets, and the ability to send back intelligence, such as GPS coordinates of targets.
Brett Hush, AeroVironment's vice president and product line general manager of tactical missile systems, said, "Since pioneering the loitering missile category with Switchblade 300 more than a decade ago, our tactical missile systems have proven to be a game-changing capability for both US and allied forces, providing a remarkably rapid, precise and effective way to address lethal threats. Switchblade 300 Block 20 will continue to build on the system's battle-proven legacy."
Source: AeroVironment
