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U.S. Abrams SEPv3 Tank Trials PERCH Loitering Munition Launcher for Beyond Line of Sight Strikes.
General Dynamics Land Systems has demonstrated the PERCH launcher on M1A2 Abrams SEPv3 tanks in Texas, integrating Switchblade loitering munitions for reconnaissance and precision attack. The upgrade gives U.S. armor an organic way to engage threats beyond line of sight, a growing requirement shaped by modern drone-heavy conflicts.
On December 5, 2025, General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) announced that it had successfully demonstrated its new Precision Effects & Reconnaissance, Canister-Housed (PERCH) launcher, integrating AeroVironment’s Switchblade loitering munitions onto U.S. Army M1A2 Abrams SEPv3 main battle tanks at the Machine Assisted Rugged Sapper (MARS) event in Fort Hood, Texas. According to the company, this modular system is designed to turn heavy armored platforms into nodes for organic beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) reconnaissance and precision strike, without structural changes to the vehicle. This development is particularly significant as Western land forces race to adapt to lessons from recent high-intensity conflicts, where loitering munitions and armed drones have reshaped the geometry of the battlefield.
General Dynamics Land Systems has tested a PERCH launcher on U.S. Abrams SEPv3 tanks, enabling them to deploy loitering drones for new beyond line of sight reconnaissance and strike capability (Picture Source: Army Recognition / GDLS)
At the heart of the announcement is PERCH, a modular launcher kit co-developed by GDLS and AeroVironment that embeds Switchblade 300 and Switchblade 600 loitering munitions directly onto frontline combat vehicles. PERCH replaces the Abrams loader’s sponson box and is bolted into existing attachment points, avoiding any welding or cutting of the turret structure while preserving access and maintainability. GDLS states that future versions are intended to interface directly with onboard vehicle computer systems, allowing PERCH to be fully integrated into the digital architecture of platforms such as the Abrams SEPv3 and Stryker infantry carrier vehicles.
This approach is meant to provide a low-risk, rapid path to integration by leveraging mature loitering munition technology and standard vehicle power and data connections, rather than requiring new-build turrets or bespoke launchers. For armored units, the result is a tank that can observe and engage targets far beyond direct line of sight, while keeping its crew under armor and its main gun and existing weapon systems fully available for conventional engagements.
The recent demonstration at the U.S. Army’s MARS event provided a realistic operational context to test this concept. Held from October 26 to 30 at Fort Hood, Texas, MARS is an experimentation venue focused on engineer and maneuver support missions such as breaching, route clearance and mobility under hostile conditions. During the trial, soldiers used an Abrams equipped with PERCH to conduct a complex obstacle breach, employing a combination of Switchblade 300 and Switchblade 600 munitions for BLOS reconnaissance and over-the-horizon targeting of simulated high-value targets. The loitering munitions provided aerial surveillance over the obstacle and beyond, feeding targeting data back to the crew and enabling precision engagement without exposing the tank to direct fire or forcing dismounts to reconnoiter on foot. This configuration effectively turned the Abrams from a purely direct-fire platform into a combined sensor-shooter capable of shaping the battlespace ahead of the formation.
From an operational standpoint, PERCH responds to a growing requirement for armored units to generate their own precision effects at extended ranges, instead of depending exclusively on higher-echelon artillery or air support. GDLS emphasizes that PERCH allows units “to deploy Switchblade loitering munitions far forward on the battlefield while remaining covered and concealed,” a formulation that captures the concept of using tanks as protected launch pads for expendable drones. AeroVironment, for its part, highlights that integrating Switchblade 300 and 600 into GDLS platforms offers immediate benefits in terms of reach and responsiveness, providing rapid, precise effects from protected positions. In practice, PERCH-equipped Abrams or Strykers could scout urban areas, forest lines or defilade positions with loitering munitions before committing the main force, conduct battle damage assessment, or suppress enemy anti-tank teams and artillery observers that would otherwise remain hidden from direct view.
The strategic implications go beyond the technical integration of a new launcher. Over the past decade, and particularly since the wars in Ukraine and the South Caucasus, loitering munitions have become a central instrument in counter-battery fire, precision strikes on command posts and the degradation of armored formations. By placing Switchblade munitions on Abrams tanks and Stryker vehicles, the U.S. Army is exploring a model where heavy armor is no longer just a target for enemy drones, but a platform that actively participates in the drone fight. In doctrinal terms, PERCH contributes to the shift toward distributed, networked fires, where every platform, tank, infantry carrier or unmanned system, can act as a sensor and shooter node feeding into a wider kill chain.
The earlier unveiling of PERCH at the AUSA 2025 exposition in Washington already pointed in this direction, with GDLS describing a non-invasive integration kit designed to connect to existing hardpoints and vehicle systems to enable BLOS reconnaissance and precision strikes without modifying the tank’s structure. The MARS demonstration now shows that this concept has moved from trade-show prototype to fielded experiment with soldiers, within realistic breaching and maneuver scenarios.
The successful PERCH demonstration at MARS marks a significant step in transforming tanks and armored vehicles into integrated effectors in the drone battle, rather than platforms merely protected against it. By combining the firepower and protection of the Abrams with the reach and precision of Switchblade loitering munitions, GDLS and AeroVironment are offering a template for how Western land forces might close the gap between heavy armor and the rapidly evolving world of unmanned systems. If future trials confirm the system’s reliability and the Army chooses to field it at scale, PERCH could help redefine how armored brigades conduct reconnaissance, breaching and deep engagement missions in high-threat environments, and shape procurement decisions well beyond the United States.
Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.