The US Army has awarded AeroVironment a $51 million contract for additional Switchblade 600 loitering munitions, including systems intended for an undisclosed allied customer through a foreign military sale.The order includes Block 2 Switchblade 600 systems for the US Army and Block 1 variants for the unnamed international customer. It is being placed under an existing five-year lethal unmanned systems contract awarded to AeroVironment in 2024, which has a potential value of $990 million.The Switchblade 600 is designed as a long-range loitering munition capable of conducting precision attacks against targets including armored vehicles. Its ability to remain airborne while searching for an engagement opportunity distinguishes it from conventional weapons launched directly toward predetermined targets.The Block 2 version includes upgraded avionics, autonomous target-recognition functions, resilient communications, and improved navigation. These enhancements are intended to improve performance in contested environments.Growing Switchblade AdoptionThe Switchblade family includes lightweight precision-guided loitering munitions designed for deployment from land, air, and maritime platforms. The larger Switchblade 600 is approximately 1.3 meters long and weighs 15 kg. It can reach speeds of up to 185 km/h and remain airborne for more than 40 minutes.The Pentagon is increasingly examining expendable autonomous weapons that can be deployed at scale. Switchblade systems have already been introduced across more than 20 brigade combat teams, with hundreds of US soldiers trained to operate the systems since 2025.The smaller Switchblade 300 measures around 50 cm and weighs approximately 3 kg. It can reach 160 km/h and has an endurance exceeding 20 minutes.In July, the US State Department approved a potential $80.1 million sale of Switchblade 300 Block 20 systems to Greece, including 350 munitions, 35 fire-control systems, and tactical battery chargers.
