AeroVironment Switchblade

The Switchblade (German: switchblade ) is an unmanned combat -capable aircraft ( UCAV ) of the U.S. manufacturer AeroVironment. You can spend up to ten minutes over the target area before it gets assigned to their destination and is, therefore, to the class of Loitering Weapons.

Description

The Switchblade is a small, portable unmanned aerial vehicle with warhead, the ground forces will give the ability to perform precise punches out of sight. It is started directly from the 70 mm transport container out. For the control and allocation destination to the operator, the GPS coordinates and a color video image in real time can be transmitted. The control is carried out with the same portable ground station, which come from the same house used for the RQ- 11B Raven, Wasp and Puma.

History

In 2010, the U.S. Army procured for testing ten Switchblade systems. For the deployment of troops a few hundred pieces were then ordered in September 2011. In May 2012, the U.S. Marine Corps ordered the Switchblade.

Use

The U.S. military plans to equip troops in Afghanistan with Switchblade drones.