Know about Deadly Switchblade Drone carried in small backpack which will replace airstrike in battlefield
Know about Deadly Switchblade Drone carried in small backpack which will replace airstrike in battlefield
USA will send more than 50 Switchblades to the war zone in Afghanistan
Switchblade drone is designed to provide the war?ghter with a man-portable, rapidly deployable, loitering munition for use against beyond-line-of-sight
(BLOS) targets.
This miniature intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) and lethal platform can be operated manually or autonomously.
Switchblade® provides the operator with real-time video and GPS coordinates for information gathering, targeting or feature/object recognition.
Features of Switchblade Drone –
1.Wingspan - about 2 feet
2.Length – less than 2 feet
3.Weight – 5.5 pounds
4.Firing time – under 5 minutes
5.Crew – One man
6.Speed – up to 98 mph
7.Sensors include color and infrared video cameras
8.Switchblade is fully scaleable and can be launched from a variety of air and ground platforms.
9.Optional Launch Platforms Air vehicle, ground vehicle, water craft, etc
10.Lethality - Precision strike with very low collateral
11.Observables Very small visual, thermal & acoustic signatures
Pint-sized drones are also called as flying shotgun.
In September 2011 it was reported that the US Army had signed a contract with AeroVironment for the supply of the Switchblade miniature drone.
Switchblade is the first tactical armed drone for use by a soldier as part of their backpack kit and weighs around 2.5 kg or weighs less than 6 pounds.
The 2-foot-long Switchblade is so named because its wings fold into the fuselage for transport and spring out after launch.
The mini-drone has a small warhead and is launched from a 60 cm long container/launcher tube.
As it launches its small wings unfold and can be guided to its target via a nose-mounted camera.
The operator looks through a viewer that displays video from the drone. Switchblade can also be directed to co-ordinates using Global Positioning System (GPS).
Powered by an electric motor it can reach speeds up to 80 km/h and loiter for up to 40 minutes.
Small Drone can take out a sniper on a rooftop without blasting the building to bits.
Because of this Soldier will not need to call for a help just open the small bag and configure the small drone for attack and destroy enemy with accuracy.
It is designed to fit into a soldier's rucksack and is fired from a mortar-like tube.
Once airborne, it begins sending back live video and GPS coordinates to a hand-held control set clutched by the soldier who launched it.
When soldiers identify and lock on a target, they send a command for the drone to nose-dive into it and detonate on impact. Because of the way it operates, the Switchblade has been dubbed the "kamikaze drone."
The switchblade drone is an anti-personnel weapon that allows soldier to attack enemies who are hiding.
The switchblade can be carried in a small backpack or say rucksack.
Using switchblade soldiers can attack the enemy up to 12 miles away.
Launched from a mortar like tube.
Drone flies below 500 feet.
Soldier uses hand-held screen to find enemy that is target.
Weapon armed after launch.
Guided by soldier , can loiter for 10 minutes during search and it will follow moving target and await command to destroy or kill enemy.
Drone can be aborted or reengaged.
Media has reported that US Army is considering buying $100 million worth of the drones in a few years under a program called the Lethal Miniature Aerial Munition System.
Photo of the switchblade drone
Watch the animation video showing how the switchblade drone will be used by soldiers
Watch another video showing how the soldiers will use the Switchblade drone
Reality views by sm –
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Tags - Switchblade Drone
