Weapons: US Military Issues Switchblades to Everyone
Ezoic
June 24, 2024: Noting the success of the Switchblade loitering munition in Ukraine, the U.S. has ordered thousands more sent to Ukrainian forces. At the same time the American army and marines are planning to issue more of these lightweight weapons to their own troops for use as a standard weapon, like existing rocket launchers and portable anti-tank weapons.
Ukrainian forces found Switchblade less effective than UAVs developed and built locally. The Ukrainians were dealing with a resourceful enemy and the Russian were already using several forms of jamming against Ukrainian UAVs. The $1,300 Switchblades needed several upgrades to be competitive with existing Ukrainian UAVs. Both Russian and Ukrainian forces are using cheap, about $500 each quadcopter UAVs controlled by soldiers a kilometer or more away, who use FPV (First Person Viewing) goggles to see what the day/night video camera on the UAV can see. Adding night vision doubles the cost for each UAV, so not all of them have that capability. Each of these UAVs carries half a kilogram of explosives, so it can instantly turn the UAV into a flying bomb that can fly into a target and detonate. This is an awesome and debilitating weapon when used in large numbers over the combat zone. If a target isn’t moving or requires more explosive power that the UAVs can supply, one of the UAV operators can call in artillery, rocket, or missile fire, or even an airstrike.
Ezoic
A major limitation is the need for trained UAV operators. These troops need over a hundred hours of training before they are able to start operating these UAVs, and another hundred hours of actual use before they are able to make the most out of the system. These UAVs are difficult to shoot down until they get close to the ground and the shooter is close enough, as in less than a few hundred meters, away to successfully target a UAV with a bullet or two and bring it down. Troops are rarely in position to do this, so most of these UAVs are able to complete their mission, whether it is a one-way attack or a reconnaissance and surveillance mission. The recon missions are usually survivable and enable the UAV to be reused. All these UAVs are constantly performing surveillance, which means that either side commits enough UAVs to maintain constant surveillance over a portion of the front line, to a depth, into enemy territory, of at least a few kilometers.
https://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htweap/articles/202406240254.aspx
