As a weaponry country, Ukraine is receiving support from many Western countries. Just a few days back, Joe Biden, the US President, announced that 100 Switchblade tactical drones would be dispatched to Ukraine. Due to their operation, they are often referred to as suicide dronesThey explode when they hit the target.
These drones are capable of flying at high speeds, high altitudes, and have deadly abilities. If one these drones passes through the sky at high speed, all those on the ground will be very close to death.The drone will explode by simply pressing a button.
The Switchblade drone was first developed to combat insurgents fighting in Afghanistan. It has since become an integral part of the US Army’s special and conventional operations arsenals. This ‘kamikaze’ drone is available in two versions: el Switchblade 300 y el Switchblade 600. Their ammunition is what sets them apart.
The Switchblade 300 is equipped with an explosive charge that is the same size as a Claymore mine. It contains an anti-personnel mine, C4 explosive, and hundreds of small metal ball bearings. It can be used to destroy infantry and artillery targets. At 60 centimeters in height and weighing approximately 2.5 kilos.The Switchblade 300 can easily be carried in a backpack or launched from a small mortar-like tube.. It can travel at 160 km/h but has an extremely short range of operation, which makes it very tactical.
Both munitions come with an onboard GPS receiver that can guide them to the target. They can also engage stationary or moving objects. They also include a “deactivate” functionThis allows the operator to stop an attack if the ground conditions change. For example, if civilians approach the target.
The Switchblade 300 has been used by the US Special Operations Command since early 2010. In September 2010, AeroVironment was given to it. Contract worth 18 Million Euros for the Switchblade 600. “We’ve been using Switchblades for a while. Because they place distance between the target and the operator, they are very effective at range. It was very effective in Syria and Iraq to defeat ISIS,” said a Green Beret who served with a National Guard unit.
ISIS fighters attempted to down Special Operations Teams or their forward Operating Bases with car bombs. “On some rare occasions we use Switchblades to take them out along the way.You can also use it for urban warfare, as you can be precise and avoid collateral damage.”, adds the green beret, who was not authorized to speak to the media.
Apart from carrying out attacksSwitchblades are able to collect tactical informationAssist commanders in improving their situational awareness and battlefield surveillance by performing reconnaissance, target acquisition and surveillance tasks.
Switchblade 600 “track and engage non-line-of-sight targets and light armored vehicles with precision lethal effects”AeroVironment’s vice president and general manger of the TMS product line, Brett Hush said this after the company received the SOCOM (Special Operations Command). Hush stated that the Model 600 is easily transportable and can be deployed from both fixed and mobile platforms. This allows operators to defeat targets and minimize enemy fire.