Could small, loitering munitions be the future of close air support (CAS)? The U.S. military has been experimenting with the notion for some time.

The first-ever loitering munition to enter the U.S. military’s arsenal was the AeroVironment Switchblade in 2012. The Switchblade is a small and light unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that can be launched from a tube and can accomplish a variety of tasks. It has the capability of conducting short-range tactical reconnaissance and surveillance missions. Furthermore, it can act as a loitering munition—essentially a kamikaze drone—by locking onto a target and destroying it. Although the Switchblade homes in on the target, its operator can abort and redirect it if needed (if civilians suddenly appear next to a target, for instance).

All in all, the small drone weighs less than six pounds (that weight includes the drone, its launcher, and transportation case). Its warhead is comparable to a 40mm grenade. For navigation and target acquisition, the Switchblade uses a GPS and has the same ground control station (the control facility and software that guides a UAV) as the larger RQ-11 Raven and RQ-20 Puma drones. It also has a compact video camera to provide direct footage to its operator. It only has a 10- to 15-minute flight time, a speed of 55 to 85 knots, and a maximum effective range of six miles.

It has been used in Afghanistan to support combat operations, usually targeting either high-value targets (HVTs) or critical enemy battlefield targets (fortified positions, mortar teams, spotters, and even improvised explosive device planters). The Switchblade is being used by both the Army and the Marine Corps and provides platoon-sized elements with organic CAS and tactical recon capabilities.