Axios: US Army buys Switchblade attack drones for $186 million

The US Army is placing an order worth $186 million for AeroVironment’s upgraded Switchblade attack UAVs, Axios reports.

The purchase is part of a larger contract under the Lethal Unmanned Systems (LUS) program for $990 million, which was announced in August 2024.

According to Axios, the supply will include the Switchblade 600 Block 2 and Switchblade 300 Block 20 with an EFP (Explosively Formed Penetrator) armor-piercing warhead – this is the first time such a Switchblade 300 configuration has been purchased by the army.

Updated versions of the Switchblade family were presented in the fall at the Association of the US Army (AUSA) conference in Washington.