Switchblade 600 Operational in Ukraine, US Army Begins Testing

Soldiers of the 1st Cavalry Division of the US Army conducted their first combat launches of Switchblade 600 kamikaze drones, which have been in use in Ukraine for some time.

The Pentagon reported on this.

The first combat launches took place on September 15 at Fort Hood. Soldiers of the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team performed them as part of the Transforming in Contact initiative.

The initiative aims to rethink the combat methods of armored formations by integrating new technologies, including unmanned aerial vehicles and advanced communications systems.

“A huge thing the Army has seen across multiple battlefields, whether in Ukraine or elsewhere, is the rapid modernization and high usage of drones,” Army Capt. Jeffrey Weller, Multifunctional Reconnaissance Troop commander, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, stated. “We’re taking those lessons learned and revamping our [unmanned aircraft] systems to stay ahead of adversaries.”

According to the Americans, the Switchblade 600 is approximately 1.5 meters long, weighs 34 kilograms, and is equipped with a multipurpose warhead derived from the Javelin missile.

The kamikaze drone has a flight time of 40 to 45 minutes and can engage targets at ranges up to 43.5 kilometers. It can be re-targeted in flight if battlefield conditions change.

This loitering munition can be used to strike vehicles or small groups of infantry.

Before the combat launches, soldiers completed a five-day training course at the manufacturer, during which they learned to set up, arm, and program the drones for flights and strike missions.

The Switchblade 600 drones are one of several technologies being introduced into U.S. Army armored units to adapt to battlefield realities in light of the Russian-Ukrainian war and other conflicts where drones have played a significant role.

Previously, the Americans also launched Switchblade 600 kamikaze drones from an MQ-9A Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle for the first time.

As for the use of such kamikaze drones by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, in particular, operators of the 14th separate regiment of unmanned aerial systems destroyed a Russian Buk anti-aircraft missile system with a Switchblade 600 drone.