Closed Huib18 closed 1 year ago
tbrandon517
commented
2 years ago Additional Sources for Switchblade and Launch Platforms
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AeroVironment_Switchblade https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/42755/new-tracked-unmanned-vehicle-bristles-with-a-whopping-50-switchblade-suicide-drones https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/42465/kratos-new-airwolf-combat-drone-has-launched-a-switchblade-loitering-munition-in-flight
nkocevar
commented
2 years ago We may want to add Ukraine as an operating country, as the US has begun shipping them over in "Security Assistance Packages"... I'm actually planning on using these in my split Ukraine scenario!
It looks like both the Switchblade 300 & 600 have been sent to Ukraine, with both being sent in the hundreds at this point:
Evidence 1: https://www.cnet.com/news/us-military-sends-another-600-switchblade-drones-to-ukraine/ Evidence 2: https://www.19fortyfive.com/2022/04/switchblade-the-drone-ukraine-is-using-to-strike-russia-in-ukraine/ Evidence 3: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/us-is-training-ukrainians-to-use-their-new-switchblade-drones-discussing-fuel-needs-pentagon-says/ar-AAVXkjk?ocid=uxbndlbing
PygmalionOfCyprus
commented
1 year ago Thpppt, I added these ages ago. The weapons are loaded onto mounts 3879 and 3880 for the 300 and 600 respectively, so you can add them to whatever infantry unit / vehicle / ship / UFO you want to have carrying them around.
DB Selector
DB3K
Baseline
No response
Hypothetical
No
Name
Switchblade 300 loitering munition
Country
United States
Service
USA and UK
In Commission
2009 tested in Afghanistan and 2011 full order.
Length (m)
.61m
Wingspan (m)
2.8
Height (m)
unkown
Empty Weight (kg)
2.5kg
Maximum Takeoff Weight (MTOW) (kg)
2.7 kg
Payload Weight (kg)
0.27
Crew
Unmanned
Propulsion
Electric
Rate of Climb (ft/min)
unknown
Service Ceiling (ft)
operating alt below 500 ft AGL (max ceiling >15,000 ft MSL)
Military/Afterburner Speed (kt)
Dash: 100 mph
Cruise Speed (kt)
Cruise: 63 mph,
Supercruise
No
Ferry Range (nm)
10km
Endurance (min)
15min
Takeoff / Landing Distance (m)
Cannot be recovered
Fuel Capacity (kg)
No response
Sensors
Dual front and side look EO cameras and IR nose camera Stabilized electronic pan-tilt-zoom
Mounts
Northrop Grumman advanced munition Warhead is a equivalent of a 40mm grenade which is forward firing, not omnidirectional.
Mostly aimed at antipersonnel engagements and also effective against soft-skinned vehicles.
Loadout Options
No loadout
Comms/Datalinks
M1/2/5 pocket digital data link (pDDL) Line-of-sight.
Tech data from: https://www.avinc.com/images/uploads/product_docs/DDL_FutureState_Datasheet_05222020.pdf This is possibly M1@20 GHz, M2@24 GHz, M3@28 GHz from :https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/10/20/7187/pdf
Commslink is dependend of used antenna. https://www.avinc.com/uas/network-connectivity/antennas
On 28 April 2016, AeroVironment announced they had developed an upgrade for the Switchblade Tactical Missile system designated Block 10C. It incorporates a Digital Data Link (DDL) to provide a stable and secure encrypted communication link through more efficient use of existing frequency bands and significantly reduced likelihood of signal interception, as well as enables concurrent operation of multiple Switchblade systems in the same vicinity without signal conflict, gives opportunity to extend operational ranges using another DDL arbiter such as a different AeroVironment UAV, and facilitates sensor to shooter operations through automatic communication of mission plans from one AeroVironment UAS to a Switchblade. http://armyrecognition.com/april_2016_global_defense_security_news_industry/aerovironment_begins_production_of_switchblade_tactical_missile_system_upgrade_52904163.html
If a situation causes a strike to be called off, the operator can call off the Switchblade and re-target it. The operator the opportunity to wave off until four seconds from impact.
Aircraft Codes
Bombsight - Advanced Navigation (INS/GPS)
Comments
Variants: Tubelaunched from a backpack. Container launched (6x Switchblade) Air launched (tested from MV-20 and JUMP UAV). Development with Kratos UAV's
< 2 minute system setup and launch from rucksack. Faster from containerlaunch.
Possible Intro tekst: AeroVironment’s combat-proven Switchblade 300 provides conventional and special operations forces with a backpackable, rapidlydeployable, loitering precision strike missile for use against beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) targets from mobile positions in the field or from fixed defensive positions for base security. This lethal missile can be operated manually or autonomously, and its small size and quiet motor make it difficult to detect, recognize, and track even at very close range. Switchblade 300 provides the operator with real-time video and Cursor-on-Target GPS coordinates for information gathering, targeting, or feature/object recognition. It is fully scalable and can be launched from a variety of air, sea, and ground platforms.
Is also capable of intercepting enemy drones. And therefore targets are also slow flying helicopters? https://breakingdefense.com/2014/10/new-weapons-spell-death-for-drones-the-countermeasure-dance/
Comments on in service date: The development of systems like Drone40 began shortly after 2001 as American operations in Afghanistan generated demand for improved surveillance tools for the infantry. That led to the 2009 arrival of the Switchblade UAV in Afghanistan for testing. Switchblade was sent to Afghanistan for secret field testing. This was very successful and the troops demanded more, and more, and more. Switchblade completed development later in 2009 and was initially thought useful only for special operations troops. In 2011, after a year of successful field testing with production models, the army ordered over a hundred Switchblades for troop use and since then has ordered a lot more. https://www.thefifthcolumn.xyz/forum/land-warfare/654-loitering-munitions-and-low-level-swarms#post698
In April 2015, the Marines test-fired a Switchblade out of the back of an MV-22 Osprey. The drone was not equipped with a warhead, but was successfully released and accurately steered toward a target. The test showed that the Switchblade could be air-launched from the aircraft and add a remotely controlled, weaponized surveillance tool to the Osprey. Maybe program this Osprey loadout as hypothetical?
Another company with which AeroVironment is teaming is Kratos; announced in March 2019, this cooperation aims at demonstrating the ability to launch, communicate with, and control the Switchblade 300 from Kratos high-speed, runway-independent unmanned aircraft. The idea is to exploit the smaller munition to provide information to the mothership, while ensuring also an attack capability, the Kratos UAS ensuring long range data link to the control centre to better coordinate the effects on targets and optimise the use of attack assets. Due to the limited weight and size of the Switchblade 300, the Kratos UAS can be fitted with a number of missiles, thus acquiring a considerable high precision firepower capability. Initial air-launched tests are planned in early 2021. Kratos loadout as hypothetical?
Sources
https://www.avinc.com/tms/switchblade ( https://www.avinc.com/images/uploads/product_docs/Switchblade_300_Datasheet_220114.pdf https://www.avinc.com/images/uploads/product_docs/MPL_Datasheet_07122021.pdf https://breakingdefense.com/2014/10/new-weapons-spell-death-for-drones-the-countermeasure-dance/ https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2019/7/16/multi-pack-launcher-deployed-for-switchblade https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/aerovironment-fires-switchblade-300-loitering-munition-from-jump-20-uav-for-first-time http://armyrecognition.com/april_2016_global_defense_security_news_industry/aerovironment_begins_production_of_switchblade_tactical_missile_system_upgrade_52904163.html https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2015/04/17/marines-launched-a-kamikaze-drone-from-an-osprey-aircraft/ https://www.edrmagazine.eu/switchblade-300-the-combat-proven-munition
UK also as user: https://www.thefifthcolumn.xyz/forum/land-warfare/654-loitering-munitions-and-low-level-swarms#post698
Vids https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLiOQZnsPc8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sjIhm0Ph8I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tB61UO_2kAo
Overall on loitering munitions: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221491472100146X