The Switchblade drone - a new weapon against the Russian invaders

The Switchblade drone is one of the most emblematic examples of how modern warfare has evolved towards portability, precision, and autonomy. Originally produced by the American company AeroVironment, the Switchblade represents a class of weapon known as the “loitering munition” — a hybrid between a drone and a guided missile. Its name derives from the way its wings unfold like a switchblade knife when launched from a small tube, reflecting both its compactness and lethality.

Origins and Design

The Switchblade was conceived in the early 2000s as a response to the need for small, tactical drones that could deliver rapid strikes without endangering troops or causing extensive collateral damage. The United States military first deployed it in Afghanistan, where soldiers required a weapon that could silently surveil enemy positions and strike within seconds. AeroVironment developed two principal models: the Switchblade 300 and the more powerful Switchblade 600.

The Switchblade 300, weighing just 2.5 kilograms, can be carried in a soldier’s backpack. It is electrically powered, nearly silent, and can be launched from a lightweight tube. Once airborne it can loiter over a target area for up to 15 minutes, relaying live video and GPS coordinates to the operator. When a target is confirmed — whether a sniper, a vehicle, or an enemy mortar team — the operator may guide the drone directly into impact. The warhead, small but precise, detonates upon contact, with minimal blast radius.

The Switchblade 600, by contrast, is designed for anti-armour operations. Weighing about 23 kilograms and boasting a range exceeding 40 kilometres, it carries a larger explosive charge similar to that used in the Javelin anti-tank missile. It can loiter for up to 40 minutes and attack from above, striking tanks and fortified positions with precision.

Tactical Advantages

The defining advantage of the Switchblade system lies in its combination of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) with direct strike capability. It enables a single operator to identify, track, and eliminate a target without needing heavy artillery or air support. Its portability makes it ideal for small infantry units, special forces, or defensive operations in complex terrain.

Compared to conventional missiles, Switchblades are cheap — costing tens of thousands of dollars rather than hundreds of thousands — and disposable. Compared to larger drones such as the MQ-9 Reaper, they can be deployed within minutes and without airfields or logistical support. In asymmetric warfare, this transforms the battlefield by giving individual soldiers access to the kind of precision strike power once reserved for air forces.

The Switchblade in Ukraine

Since 2022, Switchblade drones have played a notable role in Ukraine’s defence against Russia’s invasion. The United States supplied both the 300 and 600 variants to the Ukrainian Armed Forces as part of military aid packages. Ukrainian operators quickly learned to integrate them into their tactical repertoire, using Switchblades to target Russian infantry, command posts, and light vehicles behind the front line. However their effectiveness has been somewhat limited by electronic warfare and jamming, which can disrupt GPS and control signals — a reminder that even the most advanced systems are vulnerable to counter-measures in a highly contested electromagnetic environment.

Nevertheless the Switchblade’s introduction demonstrated a shift towards decentralised precision warfare, in which small, intelligent munitions complement reconnaissance networks, satellites, and ground-based surveillance. Ukrainian engineers have since developed indigenous loitering munitions inspired by the Switchblade’s concept but adapted to local conditions and lower-cost manufacturing.

Strategic and Ethical Dimensions

The Switchblade symbolises the growing automation of death in warfare. It blurs the line between a drone and a missile, between reconnaissance and assassination. Its small size and autonomous features raise ethical questions about accountability: when a single soldier can silently strike a target kilometres away, who bears responsibility for errors or civilian casualties?

Yet proponents argue that such systems reduce harm overall. Their precision allows combatants to destroy enemy positions without calling in artillery barrages that devastate civilian infrastructure. In this sense, the Switchblade embodies the paradox of modern military ethics — a more “humane” weapon designed to kill more efficiently.

Conclusion

The Switchblade drone encapsulates the modern battlefield’s defining traits: speed, precision, autonomy and minimal footprint. It has revolutionised the tactical doctrine of infantry warfare, empowering small units with capabilities once reserved for state air forces. Its use in Ukraine has validated the concept of portable loitering munitions as a critical element of twenty-first-century conflict. In the coming years, as artificial intelligence is further integrated into these systems, the Switchblade may be seen as a transitional weapon — the first in a generation of self-guiding, networked machines that will change how wars are fought, and how soldiers understand power, distance and accountability in the act of killing.