U.S. Army Approves $186M Switchblade 600 Block 2 and 300 EFP Anti-Armor Loitering Munitions.

The U.S. Army has issued a $186 million delivery order to AeroVironment for next-generation Switchblade 600 Block 2 and Switchblade 300 Block 20 loitering munitions, including the Army’s first procurement of an explosively formed penetrator payload in the 300 series. The award signals a doctrinal shift toward scalable, anti-armor loitering munitions designed to survive electronic warfare and expand small-unit precision strike reach.

The U.S. Army has issued a $186 million delivery order to AeroVironment for upgraded Switchblade loitering munitions that extend small-unit precision strike reach and improve anti-armor lethality under heavy electronic warfare pressure. The buy pairs the long-range Switchblade 600 Block 2 with the backpackable Switchblade 300 Block 20 configured with an explosively formed penetrator payload, a combination aimed at giving infantry and maneuver units an organic “see-first, strike-first” option against vehicles and other time-sensitive targets beyond line of sight. The award is placed under the Army’s five-year Lethal Unmanned Systems IDIQ contract ceilinged at $990 million, positioning this procurement as an early indicator of wider scaling rather than a niche acquisition.
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AeroVironment's next-generation Switchblade package pairs the long-range Switchblade 600 Block 2, a man-portable loitering munition built to hunt and strike armored targets beyond line of sight in contested EW conditions, with the backpackable Switchblade 300 Block 20 (picture) upgraded with an EFP warhead to give small units an organic anti-armor "spot, loiter, and hit" capability (Picture source: AeroVironment).

While the Army has fielded earlier Switchblade variants for years, this order matters because it is explicitly framed as the service’s first procurement of AeroVironment’s next-generation Switchblade product line and the Army’s first Switchblade order that includes an EFP payload, signaling a doctrinal shift toward lightweight loitering munitions with credible anti-armor effects at the tactical edge. The scale of the award reflects the Army’s intent to buy in volume, reinforcing the growing emphasis on expendable precision strike systems that can be trained, issued, and consumed at scale across brigade combat teams.

The Switchblade 600 Block 2 is designed to sit at the upper end of man-portable loitering strike, bridging the gap between dismounted units and longer-range precision fires. The system offers more than 50 minutes of endurance, a baseline range exceeding 60 kilometers, and an engagement option beyond 100 kilometers enabled by forward pass or handoff between operators. It is supported by resilient communications using a Silvus-based MANET architecture and M-Code GPS integration intended to preserve navigation and targeting integrity in contested electromagnetic environments. Its speed profile, approximately 70 mph in loiter and up to 115 mph in sprint, is tailored for time-sensitive targets that cannot be held in place for traditional fire missions.

The 600 Block 2 incorporates a two-axis, four-sensor gimbal combining dual electro-optical and infrared feeds, paired with onboard automatic target recognition supported by edge computing. In operational terms, this reduces cognitive load on operators and shortens the detect-to-engage cycle. Instead of relying solely on higher-echelon ISR, maneuver units can identify, confirm, and prosecute armored vehicles, air defense systems, or command nodes within their own tactical envelope. The loitering munition’s ability to approach from multiple attack angles further complicates adversary defensive planning.

At the small-unit end of the spectrum, Switchblade 300 Block 20 focuses on portability and rapid employment. With more than 20 minutes of endurance and a range of up to 30 kilometers using an extended antenna configuration, the system remains a one-soldier portable capability. A touchscreen fire control unit supports mission planning, embedded training modes, and tap-to-target engagement. The Block 20 retains the patented wave-off and recommit functionality that allows operators to abort an attack if conditions change, then re-engage either the same or a different target. This feature has important implications for compliance with rules of engagement in complex terrain.

The defining evolution in this Army order is the inclusion of an explosively formed penetrator payload on the Switchblade 300 Block 20. Traditionally optimized for anti-personnel or light material targets, the 300 series now gains the ability to threaten armored vehicles through focused penetrative effects. This expands the tactical relevance of a rucksack-carried loitering munition, giving platoons and companies a capability that begins to overlap with heavier anti-armor systems but with greater flexibility in approach and target acquisition.

The procurement reflects hard lessons from the war in Ukraine, where drone saturation has become the norm rather than the exception. Persistent ISR from small commercial platforms, combined with swarming FPV attack drones and layered electronic warfare, has redefined survivability on the battlefield. Units that cannot generate their own drone density and rapid strike capacity are quickly exposed, targeted, and neutralized. The U.S. Army’s requirement is not to replicate ad hoc solutions but to institutionalize scalable, resilient loitering munitions within formal force structure.

Switchblade 300 Block 20 with an EFP payload fills a gap between direct-fire missiles and higher-echelon artillery. Unlike traditional anti-tank guided missiles, it can loiter, search beyond line of sight, and strike from unexpected vectors after confirming target identity. This enables ambush from defilade positions, rapid engagement of fleeting armored targets, and suppression of enemy observation posts without waiting for battalion-level fires. Switchblade 600 Block 2 extends that logic deeper into the battlespace, offering brigade-level formations a precision anti-armor effect that can be launched from dispersed positions and handed off across a secure network to maintain engagement continuity.

The $186 million delivery order signals that expendable precision effects are becoming a structural component of U.S. Army modernization rather than an urgent wartime supplement. By placing this first order for next-generation variants under a large IDIQ framework, the Army is establishing the contractual and industrial foundation for sustained production scaling. If followed by additional delivery orders, the Block 2 and Block 20 families could become standard equipment across maneuver formations preparing for high-intensity conflict against peer adversaries. In a battlespace defined by sensors, electronic attack, and rapid target turnover, organic loitering munitions are emerging as a decisive layer in restoring tactical overmatch.