Overview
- AeroVironment announced Wednesday that it received a $51 million U.S. Army delivery order under the five‑year Lethal Unmanned Systems IDIQ that adds Switchblade 600 Block 2 systems and Block 1 units tied to a Foreign Military Sale.
- The Block 2 variant was developed with U.S. Special Operations Command and adds SPOTR AiTR automatic target recognition, Silvus MANET radios for resilient networking, upgraded avionics, and navigation tuned for GPS‑challenged environments.
- Since 2025 the Switchblade 600 family has been fielded to more than 20 brigade combat teams and hundreds of soldiers have been trained on the system’s operation and employment.
- AeroVironment said the new order is a follow‑on to earlier procurements and that the company is expanding manufacturing capacity and accelerating deliveries to meet rising demand.
- Loitering munitions like the Switchblade 600 give units an option between short‑range direct fire and long‑range strikes, and growing purchases could shift unit tactics, sustainment needs, and allied strike capabilities as Block 2 spreads through U.S. formations and foreign partners.