Switchblade UAV Specifications and the Army's $990 Million Contract

What the Switchblade UAV Is and How the Army Buys It

The Switchblade is AeroVironment's tube-launched loitering munition, and the Army buys it through an IDIQ contract with a ceiling of up to $990 million over five years. According to DefenseScoop, the award covers both the Switchblade 600 and the Switchblade 300. AeroVironment's product page says the original Switchblade is designed to launch from a simple tube that a single operator can set up in just a few minutes.

The $990 million figure is the most the Army can order across the five-year term. Funding is determined with each order, and the DOD estimates the work will be complete on 26 August 2029.

The award serves the Army's Lethal Unmanned Systems requirement, which AeroVironment's release identified, and the DOD announcement described the goal as an 'organic, stand-off capability' for dismounted infantry. AeroVironment was already delivering Switchblades under a December 2023 contract for the same requirement. It said deliveries under the new award would start in months. The wider weapon class is covered on the loitering munitions page.

Published Specifications for the Switchblade 300 Block 20

AeroVironment's product page lists a Switchblade 300 Block 20 range of more than 18 miles, or 30 km, when the system uses its extended range antenna. It flies at 63 mph (55 knots) while loitering and 100 mph (87 knots) in a sprint. The munition weighs 3.7 lb (1.68 kg), and the all-up round weighs 7.2 lb (3.27 kg).

The modular payload supports fragmentation or explosively formed penetrator warheads, which AeroVironment describes as giving tailored effects. AeroVironment publishes no warhead weight. The same page names high-resolution electro-optical and infrared (EO/IR) sensors, real-time EO/IR video in flight, and a loiter-and-engage capability.

Fire control runs through a cursor-on-target Global Positioning System (GPS) and touchscreen system, operated from a tablet or a dedicated controller. AeroVironment describes the system as backpackable. Specifications for the Switchblade 600 were not drawn on for this page, so every figure below applies to the Switchblade 300 Block 20 only.

Where AeroVironment's Own Figures Disagree

The Switchblade 300 Block 20 page gives two endurance figures that do not match. The spec line reads '20+ mins', while the feature text on the same page says approximately 10 to 15 minutes of loiter time. The spec figure is double the 10-minute low end and at least 5 minutes above the 15-minute high end.

The labels differ as well: the spec line says endurance, and the feature text says loiter time. AeroVironment does not explain whether the two labels measure different parts of a flight. A reader quoting either number should attribute it to the page and state which label it carries.

Weight shows the same split. The feature text says the system weighs roughly 5 lb, which matches neither the 3.7 lb munition figure nor the 7.2 lb all-up round on the spec line.

How an IDIQ Ceiling Differs from Orders and Revenue

An IDIQ ceiling is the maximum the Army can order under the contract, and the $990 million figure is that maximum. Funding is determined with each order, so money flows to AeroVironment one order at a time. The general mechanics of contract vehicles like this one are explained in the guide to how defense procurement works.

DefenseScoop's report does not state order quantities. A DOD spokesperson said: 'We have no additional information to provide at this time, beyond what is reflected in the initial contract announcement.' No revenue figure for AeroVironment is drawn on here.

To see how other unmanned programs report spending, read the military drone cost page.

The Switchblade 600 in LASSO and Replicator

The Switchblade 600 is being pursued for the initial increment of the Army's Low Altitude Stalking and Strike Ordnance (LASSO) program, according to DefenseScoop. The Army requested $120.6 million for LASSO production in fiscal 2025.

Acquisition of the Switchblade 600 is also accelerated under the Replicator initiative. In June 2024, Gen. James Mingus, the Army's vice chief of staff, told lawmakers that plans call for purchasing more than 1,000 Switchblades to support Replicator. The Replicator initiative explainer covers that program in full.

What Investors Can and Cannot Read from the Switchblade UAV Record

The public record confirms three numbers for the Switchblade program: a $990 million IDIQ ceiling, an estimated completion date of 26 August 2029, and a $120.6 million fiscal 2025 request for LASSO production. It also confirms that AeroVironment was delivering Switchblades under a December 2023 contract before the August 2024 award. Brett Hush, AeroVironment's senior vice president and general manager for loitering munition systems, said: 'AV is proud to have been selected to provide Switchblade for this critical and urgent Army requirement.'

The record does not give order quantities, a unit price, or the revenue AeroVironment books from the contract. Announced orders would show how much of the $990 million ceiling has been ordered and how many Switchblade 600 and Switchblade 300 rounds those orders cover. To compare AeroVironment with a peer, read the AeroVironment vs Kratos page.

To place the Switchblade UAV contract against the rest of AeroVironment's business, start with the AeroVironment company profile.