The Ukrainian military released video footage of U.S.-supplied loitering munitions, more commonly referred to as “kamikaze drones,” destroying a Russian armored vehicle. Ukrainian Special Operations Forces were using the loitering munition, and the Defense Ministry said it was an example of Ukraine’s close relationship with its foreign partners.
“The combat use of kamikaze UAVs is a constant practice for SOF of Ukraine in the war with Russian invaders,” the Ukrainian military said. “This is a good example of how the help of foreign partners together with the training and professionalism of our soldiers give positive results at the front.”
The video, which the Defense Ministry shared on its Facebook page, came with a bird’s-eye view of the missile as it streaked toward the tank. It also came with Star Wars music playing in the background. The drone strikes the target, and the screen goes black as the music changes to Curb Your Enthusiasm‘s television show theme.
The United States in March sent an aid package including 100 “Tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems,” consisting of “Switchblade 300” drones, which can be carried in a soldier’s rucksack, and several of the heavier “Switchblade 600,” which are much more effective against armored vehicles and have a longer loitering time (40 minutes as compared to just 15) than the 300.
Is the use of the loitering munitions a sign for the future of warfare, or is its use just more of the overblown hyperbole that both sides have been guilty of during the war?
War on the Rocks published a very informative piece on what loitering munitions are … and aren’t. And despite what some are stating, many SOF veterans who spoke to 19fortyfive.com, who are intimately familiar with the use of the Switchblades, agree that while they are an effective tool to augment Ukraine’s SOF, the loitering munitions in and among themselves, they do not believe that the loitering munitions will be game-changers.
Specifications For Switchblade 300/600:
A soldier can carry the small armed drone in a rucksack, quickly set up and launch, and give the front-line infantry troops a kamikaze-type of loitering munition that can take out troops, and with the 600 armored vehicles. While the warhead is small, it is effective, and Special Operations Forces used over 4,000 against ISIS.
In fact, the manufacturer of the Switchblade considers them “loitering missiles” rather than lumping them in as drones, essentially unmanned aircraft. Later aid packages from the U.S. are expected to include more than 121 Phoenix Ghost loitering munitions, that the U.S. Air Force developed especially for the Ukraine war. The capabilities of the Phoenix Ghost missiles are not currently known. What we do know about the Switchblades is below:
- Operational range – 6.2 miles or 15 min (Switchblade 300) 25 miles or 40 min (Switchblade 600)
- Flight ceiling – 15,000 ft
- Flight altitude – 500 ft
- Maximum cruising speed – 300: 63 mph Model 600: 70 mph
- Dash speed – 100 mph for the 300, 115 mph for the Model 600
However, the Ukrainians are getting loitering munitions from the U.S. and other Western nations. An Israeli model can loiter above the battlefield for nine hours.
What many analysts were watching unfold reminded them of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War, where Azerbaijan used loitering munitions to great effect against the Russian-supplied Armenian military. But that conflict can’t be compared to this war or others that may follow.
The loitering munitions currently used by the Ukrainians may not be the game-changers that everyone is projecting, but with better and longer loitering munitions, they will undoubtedly be a staple for Western militaries to use in the future.
Switchblade Drone. Image Credit: Industry Handout.
Armored vehicles, artillery pieces, and air defense systems will be much more vulnerable. The face of warfare is changing, and the U.S. military will be paying close attention to what is occurring in the war.
Steve Balestrieri is a 1945 National Security Columnist. He has served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer before injuries forced his early separation. In addition to writing for 19fortyfive.com and other military news organizations, he has covered the NFL for PatsFans.com for over 10 years. His work was regularly featured in the Millbury-Sutton Chronicle and Grafton News newspapers in Massachusetts.
