The latest US Weapon Heading towards Ukraine

The latest $800 million package of US security support to Ukraine is crammed with armaments that may wreak havoc on invading Russian forces. The US is providing Kyiv FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank Weapon, FIM-92 Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, and AT-4 anti-tank unguided missiles, as well as grenade launchers, body armour, and tens of millions of ammunition. The latest shipment includes 100 Switchblade tactical unmanned devices, popularly known as “kamikaze drones,” which could make life even more difficult for Russian troops.

The Switchblade, which was first created to combat rebels in Afghanistan, has now become a mainstay of the US military’s conventional and special-operations arsenals. Switchblade 300 and Switchblade 600 are the two versions of the Switchblade drone. The amount of the munition they carry is what sets them apart.

The Switchblade 300 is an anti-personnel mine with an explosive charge the size of a Claymore mine, comprised of C-4 explosive and hundreds of small metal ball bearings, meant to take out infantry and artillery targets. The Switchblade 300, with a length of 2 feet and a weight of slightly more than 5 pounds, can be fired from a tiny tube similar to a mortar. It has a top speed of 100 mph but just a 15-minute (or 6-mile) operational range, making it truly tactical.

The explosive charge of the Switchblade 600 is more powerful. It has a 40-minute operational range (or 24 miles) and a cruising speed of 70 mph, but it’s also 120 pounds heavier. The Switchblade 600 is meant to knock out tanks and armoured objects using an explosive charge comparable to that of the Javelin anti-tank missile.