SOFREP contributing editor Travis Lively wrote about the Switchblade a while back. I agree with Travis that it is likely that we will see these systems attached to larger UAS platforms in the form of pods. It’s easy to image ground operators taking control of individual units or swarming them onto target like killer bees – only these sting with an explosive warhead.
UAS Advanced Development: Switchblade
From AVINC.com: “The Switchblade is designed to provide the warfighter with a back-packable, non-line-of-sight precision strike solution with minimal collateral effects. It can rapidly provide a powerful, but expendable miniature flying Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) package on a Beyond Line-of-Sight (BLOS) target within minutes. This miniature, remotely-piloted or autonomous platform can either glide or propel itself via quiet electric propulsion, providing real-time GPS coordinates and video for information gathering, targeting, or feature/object recognition. The vehicle’s small size and quiet motor make it difficult to detect, recognize, and track even at very close range. The Switchblade is fully scalable and can be launched from a variety of air and ground platforms.”
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