AeroVironment received $64.6m to produce the first Switchblade 300 kamikaze drones for France and an unknown customer

After the successful use of the Switchblade 300 by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, France began to consider purchasing kamikaze drones. The process took about a year, and now the European country has placed its first order.

Here's What We Know

The US Army has signed a contract with AeroVironment to produce the Switchblade 300. The deal amounted to $64.6 million. This batch will include the first kamikaze drones for France and for an unknown customer.

The $64.6 million is in addition to the previous order, which was concluded in August 2022. Thus, the total funding is increased to $231.3 million. Deliveries of the bomber munitions will be completed by July 2024, but the quantity is not specified.

The Switchblade 300 is a disposable drone that weighs 2.5kg and costs around $6000. It has a maximum flight speed of 100km/h, but the drone can accelerate to 160km/h during an attack. The range is 10km.

Late last month, AeroVironment announced a new version of the kamikaze drone, the Switchblade 300 Block 20. It weighs less than 2.3kg and can fly for 20 minutes. The speed of the Block 20 version is not specified.

Source: AeroVironment