A tank-destroying drone known for helping Ukraine push back on Russian advances is getting a major infusion of support – as part of an accelerated Pentagon effort to prepare for a possible conflict with China.
The 50-pound (23kg) Switchblade 600 is the first of a new wave of lower-cost autonomous weapons the Pentagon is publicly acknowledging it is funding through its Replicator programme – an effort to field new systems by August 2025 to help counter Chinese capabilities.
Produced by AeroVironment Inc, an Arlington, Virginia-based company, the drones can fly more than 24 miles (39km) and idle for 40 minutes before attacking its target with an anti-armour warhead. The Pentagon announced the Switchblade’s selection in the programme on Monday.
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How do France’s ambitions as a global leader figure in China-US relations?
How do France’s ambitions as a global leader figure in China-US relations?
Other companies are expected to win support for their systems as well but it is not clear how many of them will be publicly disclosed.
Contractors whose weapons are selected will see millions of dollars in increased sales as the department plans to scale production to meet its ambitious goals.
Congress approved US$500 million this financial year for the Replicator effort and the Pentagon has requested an equal amount for the financial year beginning on October 1.
“These investments bring together the capabilities of a broad range of traditional and nontraditional technology companies, including systems vendors, component manufacturers, and software developers,” according to the statement.
There are still several critical, unanswered questions about the programme, including the supply chain implications of rapidly producing thousands of drones by August 2025 and where in the Indo-Pacific they will be deployed. Theoretical options include Japanese islands, the Philippines, Taiwan or US naval vessels.
Monday’s announcement is “a critical step in delivering the capabilities we need, at the scale and speed we need, to continue securing a free and open Indo-Pacific”, said Admiral Samuel Paparo, commander of US Indo-Pacific Command.
