The Switchblade 600, a tube-launched unmanned aircraft system, has previously been employed by Special Operations Forces, light infantry units and foreign partners. The 1st Cavalry Division is among the first armoured units to field the system.
“This is the first time for all of our soldiers to see these munitions fired, and you can feel the excitement in the air,” said Army Capt. Jeffrey Weller, Multifunctional Reconnaissance Troop commander, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. “The Switchblade enables the brigade to engage targets with precision between 5 and 15 kilometers in front of our forward line of troops, extending our reach and lethality.”
The Army said its Transforming in Contact initiative seeks to reshape how armoured formations fight by introducing drones and advanced communications. “A huge thing the Army has seen across multiple battlefields, whether in Ukraine or elsewhere, is the rapid modernization and high usage of drones,” Weller said. “We’re taking those lessons learned and revamping our [unmanned aircraft] systems to stay ahead of adversaries.”
The Switchblade 600 is about five feet long, weighs 75 pounds and is powered by battery. It has a flight time of up to 45 minutes, a range of 27 miles, and carries a Javelin multipurpose warhead with a five-pound explosive payload.
“It’s a remote-controlled missile that flies like a drone until it gets to the target,” explained a flight operations supervisor with the system’s manufacturer. “The operator uses onboard cameras to identify, select and engage the target.”
Once launched, the system can navigate through waypoints, loiter over a target area and strike with precision, while operators can call off an attack mid-flight. “The Switchblade allows us to target vehicles or small groups of personnel from much farther away than before,” Weller said. “It increases our lethality, minimizes collateral damage and helps protect soldiers on the front lines.”
Before the live-fire exercise, soldiers completed a five-day training course with the manufacturer, covering setup, arming and programming. Army Spc. Drake Cross, a Switchblade operator, said this was his first time with a munition-carrying unmanned aircraft system.
“Everything else I’ve flown has been for surveillance and target acquisition,” Cross said. “This is the first one where I can actually deliver a round. It’s exciting because it saves soldiers’ lives by hitting targets without putting us in danger.”
Cross described the system as user-friendly and consistent with other UAS platforms. “There’s not much of a learning curve. Once you identify and lock onto a target, you can adjust right up until impact to make sure you’re hitting what you want,” he said.
Weller added that the system will be employed in the unit’s forthcoming rotation at the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, California. “The battlefield is constantly changing, and the Army has to modernize to keep pace,” he said. “Seeing systems like the Switchblade in action shows us the future of how our formations will fight. It’s a big step toward keeping our soldiers safer and more lethal.”
Source: U.S. Department of War.
