The Switchblade is a powerful weapon of war Ukraine is using to strike the Russian military: The formidable Switchblade drone could prove to be a game-changer in the war in Ukraine.
The Biden administration has currently agreed to send 100 Switchblade 300s to assist Ukraine against Putin’s war of aggression and terror.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zhelensky was initially elated, however, he then said that 100 Switchblade 300s will be to few and he’d rather receive the more powerful Switchblade 600s. While the Ukrainian president’s reaction may seem a bit ungrateful, he is speaking out desperation and fear for his country.
Design and function
Switchblade drones are transported in a tube which also serves as a launch platform. The tube is set up like a little mortar on the ground. Once the drone leaves the launch tube its wings snap out into operation and the propulsion system activates.
The operator directs it on a path and monitors the orientation of the drone with live High Resolution (HR) streaming video to the Ground Control Unit (GCU). A target is identified and locked onto by the GCU at which point it flies autonomously to its destination.
Switchblade is single-use, and therefore categorized as a suicide class. It also has an extensive loitering time, which identifies it also as a loitering munition. Once locked onto a target the Switchblade has the unique ability to stalk its “prey” for upwards of 10 minutes before it is cut loose on it. If a situation causes a strike to be aborted, the operator can call off the Switchblade and re-target it. The drone has proven that it can also be successfully launched from moving vehicles and even aircraft.
The Switchblade 300 is two feet long and weighs six pounds. It can impact a target at speeds of up to 98 mph, and is compatible with GCUs of other military surveillance drones such as the Wasp, Raven, and Puma.
The Switchblade 600 weighs 50 pounds. It is set up in 10 minutes, and flies out to 25 miles to loiter for 20 minutes. Its maximum attack speed is a 115 mph. Impressively, the Switchblade 600 carries a Javelin warhead giving it the ability to defeat virtually Any Known Armor (AKA). However, it doesn’t carry the rest of the Javelin AT rocket’s configuration.
Anti-tank weapons such as TOWs and Javelin are very destructive, but they have zero loiter time. Raven and Puma have formidable surveillance loiter times but no attack capability. Switchblade brings to the table a surveillance platform with decent loiter times and a deadly strike.
The Switchblade’s impact
The 100 Switchblade 300 drones offered to Ukraine could just be the initial supply. Perhaps the U.S. wants to first see the results first of the Switchblade 300s’ shipment before committing to more drones or Switchblade 600s: never go all or nothing if it can be prevented.. The drones are ours to partition rationally or to squander.
A strategy could be to begin with giving Ukraine the smaller weapons systems that are faster to move in-country and easier to train soldiers on with a reasonable expectation of lethality to armored targets. Then, bump up the numbers and lethal potential of the drone models until a full contingent of numbers and level of lethality are achieved.
Switchblade drone. Image Credit: Industry handout.
Although Ukraine may feel slighted by the number and variant of Switchblade, it continues to regard the United States as its staunchest ally and saving grace in its time of most need.
George Hand is a Master Sergeant US Army (ret) from the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta, The Delta Force. In service, he maintained a high level of proficiency in 6 foreign languages. Post military, George worked as a subcontracter for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) on the nuclear test site north of Las Vegas Nevada for 16 years. Currently, George works as an Intelligence Analyst and street operative in the fight against human trafficking. A master cabinet-grade woodworker and master photographer, George is a man of diverse interests and broad talents. This first appeared in Sandboxx news.
