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United States AeroVironment
Switchblade 300
A backpackable, tube-launched loitering munition designed to give small infantry units organic precision-strike capability against personnel and light vehicles. Combat-proven with US special operations forces and supplied to Ukraine.
In service since 2011 · 5 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
160
km/h
10
km range
3,000
m ceiling
💲 ≈ $6,000, Publicly cited approximate round unit cost
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
US ITAR-controlled
Export needs U.S. State Dept (DDTC) approval; end-use & re-transfer restrictions apply.
Channel: Foreign Military Sales (FMS) or Direct Commercial Sale
Fielded & proven
Established · 5 operators
In service since 2011. Status: active.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
$15K – $21K
Acquisition is only ~30% of lifecycle cost, operating & support dominate over ~20 yrs. Rough 2.5–3.5× the unit price.
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
- Max speed
Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.
- 160 km/h Stronger than 25% of UAVs
- Cruise speed
Sustained economical speed. Determines transit time to station.
- 101 km/h Stronger than 21% of UAVs
- Range
Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.
- 10 km Bottom 6% of UAVs
- Service ceiling
Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.
- 3,000 m Bottom 8% of UAVs
- Endurance
Time on station. Critical for UAVs and patrol platforms, higher means longer persistent coverage.
- 0.3 h Bottom 2% of UAVs
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- Warhead
Warhead mass. Heavier generally means larger effect radius, at the cost of range.
- 0 kg Bottom 8% of UAVs
- Warhead type
Blast-fragmentation, shaped charge (HEAT), penetrator, thermobaric or nuclear-capable.
- Anti-personnel/light-vehicle shaped warhead
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Length
Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.
- 0.6 m
- Combat weight
Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.
- 3 kg
- Crew
Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.
- 0
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
- Propulsion type
Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…
- Electric motor with tube-launch booster
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
- Sensors
IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights.
- Electro-optical/infrared gimbaled seeker
- Datalink
Network connectivity: Link 16, MADL, national datalinks. Enables cooperative engagement.
- Encrypted two-way LOS datalink
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Unit cost
Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper.
- $6,000 Top 3% of UAVs
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 5 Stronger than 66% of UAVs
Specifications compiled from public AeroVironment and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
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Baykar Bayraktar Akinci Frequently asked questions
What is the top speed of the AeroVironment Switchblade 300? +
The AeroVironment Switchblade 300 has a maximum speed of 160 km/h.
What is the range of the AeroVironment Switchblade 300? +
The AeroVironment Switchblade 300 has a maximum range of 10 km.
How much does the AeroVironment Switchblade 300 weigh? +
The AeroVironment Switchblade 300 has a combat weight of 3 kg.
How many crew does the AeroVironment Switchblade 300 require? +
The AeroVironment Switchblade 300 requires a crew of 0.
What is the AeroVironment Switchblade 300 used for? +
The AeroVironment Switchblade 300 is a uav / drone typically used for deep strike.
How many countries operate the AeroVironment Switchblade 300? +
The AeroVironment Switchblade 300 is operated by 5 countries.
How much does the AeroVironment Switchblade 300 cost? +
The AeroVironment Switchblade 300 has an approximate unit cost of 6,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration, treat this as directional.
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