The AeroVironment Switchblade is a U.S.-made loitering munition that has been exported to Ukraine to help thwart the Russian invasion. The Switchblade, small enough to fit in a backpack, is a relatively low-tech weapon that is well-suited to the Ukrainian resistance.

Lending a Hand: Here Comes the Switchblade Drone 

Introduced in 2011, the Switchblade comes in two variants: the Switchblade 300, and the larger, anti-armor Switchblade 600. Designed by the U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command, the Switchblade was built to help U.S. troops in ambush situations, specifically in the Afghanistan War. 

Close air support (CAS) from an A-10 or AH-64 can be expensive and slow to arrive, whereas the Switchblade can be deployed fast and cheap. Granted, the A-10 packs more punch than a Switchblade drone, but a Switchblade typically offers higher precision, and a lower likelihood of collateral damage, than other, more robust CAS options.

The Switchblade was designed to be more portable and lighter than other handheld options like the FGM-148 Javelin. Other backpackable drones, like the Raven or Puma, can offer troops on the ground an immediate surveillance option, but those drones lack weaponry. The Switchblade was built with both – relatively cheap sensors can detect the enemy, and an explosive warhead can take them out.

The Switchblade is unique in that it has an abort feature. Most similar weapons, once engaged, will detonate, while the Switchblade can be directed to destroy itself without inflicting casualties.

In mid-2011, the U.S. Army awarded AeroVironment a $4.9 million contract for rapid fielding of Switchblades to the Afghanistan War. In early 2012, the Army added another $5.1 million, suggesting that the initial batch had worked as advertised. Soon after, the U.S. Marine Corps started ordering Switchblades, too, for striking improvised explosive device emplacement teams. 

Reports from the frontlines of Afghanistan were positive, suggesting that U.S. troops appreciated the Switchblade as a valuable tool. 

The Switchblade in Ukraine

When Russia invaded Ukraine, the U.S. rushed to offer Kyiv material assistance. A substantial portion of the assistance: 700 Switchblade drones. 

The Switchblade appeared early in the conflict. The first report of the drone’s use emerged in May 2022, when a Switchblade 300 was used to target a bunker in Kharkiv Oblast. But Ukraine’s use of the drone subsided as Russian air defense and electronic warfare systems improved. One report suggested that Ukraine is losing 10,000 drones of multiple makes per month, on account of Russian electronic-warfare systems that send fake signals to interfere with drone navigation.

In April 2023, the U.S. Army decided not to buy more Switchblade 300s. The decision is likely based in part on the drone’s poor performance in Ukraine against Russian tanks and artillery. The drone’s cost was higher than expected, too, coming in around $90,000 per unit. The cash-strapped Ukrainians, unsurprisingly, preferred to use commercial drones equipped with cheaper explosives, which cost around $700 or less.

The Switchblade may not be the U.S. drone of the future. But the concept, a loitering munition drone with an explosive warhead, seems viable. Expect future development programs to pick up where the Switchblade left off.

About the Author: Harrison Kass

Harrison Kass is a defense and national security writer with over 1,000 total pieces on issues involving global affairs. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.