By Jim Morris, Warrior Vice President, News
Taiwan will be getting one of the US weapons that has proven successful against Russian forces in Ukraine as part of the buildup to safeguard against an attack by China.
The State Department has approved the sale of AeroVironment Switchblade 300 loitering munition systems in a deal valued at $60.2 million (Exploring the Cutting-Edge: Switchblade 300 Block 20 Loitering Munition System (youtube.com)). Congress still must be formally notified about the sale, but it is highly unlikely that lawmakers would raise any objections.
The US Army has used the Switchblade 300 for more than a decade. The drone is lightweight, can be carried in a backpack and is for real-time intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) and precision strike support.
It has a range of 10km (6.2 miles) and can loiter over a target for up to 15 minutes.
Washington previously approved the Switchblade for use by Ukraine, France, the UK and other allies in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
“We have proven in steady combat against modern enemies that Switchblade 300 provides forces a competitive edge on the battlefield, introducing precise, long-range fires well beyond their current capabilities,” said Brett Hush, AeroVironment’s senior vice president and general manager for loitering munition systems.
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Taiwan will be getting the latest version of the weapon, the Switchblade 300 Block 20. According to AeroVironment, it features alternative warheads (including armor-penetrating capability) and greater battery life, flight endurance and radio link range.
In a deal announced earlier, Taiwan will also buy the larger ALTIUS 600M-V, which can be launched from the air, sea or ground, has a range of roughly 275 miles and can fly for more than four hours. The drone is built by Anduril, which also makes systems to defend against drones.
These acquisitions are aimed at bolstering Taiwan’s multi-layered defense against a Chinese attack. The island already has ground-based air defenses and long-range missiles.
The drones would be part of what Adm. Sam Paparo, head of the US Indo-Pacific Command, calls a “hellscape” that would be launched should China try to invade Taiwan. Earlier this year, Paparo told the Washington Post has a strategy that involves unleashing thousands of drones – unmanned planes, ships and submarines.
“I want to turn the Taiwan Strait into an unmanned hellscape using a number of classified capabilities,” Paparo said. “So that I can make their lives utterly miserable for a month, which buys me the time for the rest of everything.”
In Ukraine, the Switchblade has proven effective against Russian troops and unarmored vehicles. The larger Switchblade 600 – which also has been sent to Ukraine – is larger (weighing over 48 pounds compared to less than six pounds for the 300), has a longer range and an endurance of more than 40 minutes. The 600 is designed to destroy tanks and other armored vehicles.
The Switchblade 600 is playing a key role in the air portion of Replicator, the Pentagon’s unmanned systems effort. Replicator involves groups of drones, operating in coordination with varying levels of autonomy and artificial intelligence-enabled computing across multiple domains.
