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Switchblade 300
AeroVironment
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Switchblade 300
AeroVironmentThe AeroVironment Switchblade 300 is a man-portable, tube-launched loitering munition (kamikaze drone) weighing 2.5 kg with a 10 km / 15-minute operational range (extended to ~30 km / 20+ min in Block 20 with range-extending antenna), capable of anti-personnel precision strike. It has been deployed by the U.S. Army for over a decade and extensively used in Ukraine, with major contracts totaling nearly $1.5 billion across multiple delivery orders. The system is operator-guided to target but features autonomous guidance modes; Ukrainian field reports suggest it was found complex to train on and was partially displaced by simpler drone-dropped munitions. Unit cost is officially documented at approximately $52,000–$58,000 per all-up round in recent budgets, though fully-loaded program costs may approach $80,000.
Availability
Specification
- dimensions and weight (Switchblade 300)
- ~50 cm (20 in) length, ~76 mm (3 in) diameter, ~3 kg (7 lb)
- top speed (Switchblade 300)
- ~160 km/h (99 mph)
- range (Switchblade 300)
- ~10 km
Price
No public price — contact the supplier for a quote.
Good · Bad · Ugly
Evidence-graded claims from the AeroVironment deep report
LOCUST demonstrated automated safety shut-off validated for domestic U.S. airspace at White Sands with JIATF-401 and the FAA
A BusinessWire press release [13] — citing a joint demonstration with JIATF-401 (a U.S. government joint task force) and the FAA — independently corroborates that the safety shut-off capability was demonstrated in a government-supervised test; however, full operational certification and combat-readiness remain unconfirmed.
from AeroVironment deep report →AeroVironment won a $117.3M U.S. Army contract to deliver 82 P550 reconnaissance drones within approximately 2 months
Both an independent regional news outlet (al.com [11]) and a defense news site (TheDefenseWatch [14]) report the contract award and delivery timeline, corroborating the vendor announcement; the compressed 2-month delivery schedule is notable but not yet independently verified as completed.
from AeroVironment deep report →
LOCUST directed-energy system engages drone targets in 5–7 seconds at a cost of under $5–$10 per engagement
Both the engagement time and cost figures originate from vendor-adjacent or vendor-produced content (video summaries and a CEO conference statement [15][27]); no independent test report or government evaluation corroborates these specific performance or cost metrics, and the $5 vs. $10 discrepancy itself signals unverified sourcing.
from AeroVironment deep report →AeroVironment's systems have achieved 50,000+ deployments across 55+ countries
This figure appears only on AV's official homepage [1] with no independent audit, government procurement database, or third-party verification cited in the dossier; the number is plausible given the company's history but remains a self-reported marketing statistic.
from AeroVironment deep report →VAPOR CLE VTOL UAS achieves case-to-flight in approximately 2 minutes and is Arctic and maritime capable
The 2-minute setup time and environmental capability claims derive solely from AV's own press release [12]; the $14.6M U.S. Army production contract confirms procurement interest but no independent operational test or field report verifies the specific performance claims.
from AeroVironment deep report →
Switchblade loitering munitions are reliable and more capable than quadcopters, proven across 50,000+ deployments
Community defense forums (Reddit [34]) independently report lingering munition reliability issues and bomb-attachment reliability problems on aircraft pylons; the vendor's deployment count does not address failure rates, and no independent reliability assessment is cited in the dossier.
from AeroVironment deep report →
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Editorial directory of real robot products from leading global manufacturers. Each entry links to the manufacturer's official page.
