Loitering munition systems to be supplied to U.S. Army by AeroVironment
NewsMarch 02, 2026
ARLINGTON, Virginia. AeroVironment won a $186 million U.S. Army delivery order for Switchblade 600 Block 2 and Switchblade 300 Block 20 loitering munition systems, the company announced in a statement.
The award was issued under the Army’s existing five-year, $990 million Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract for Lethal Unmanned Systems, which the Army awarded in August 2024, the company says. The delivery order represents the Army’s first procurement of AeroVironment’s next-generation Switchblade systems, the statement reads.
The company says the Switchblade 600 Block 2 includes updated avionics and Automatic Target Recognition (ATR) intended to support target detection and identification. AeroVironment also says the system includes resilient communications that incorporate Silvus mobile ad hoc network (MANET) radios to support distributed operations and handoff ranges. The company adds that upgrades to navigation and mission resilience are intended to support employment in Global Positioning System (GPS)-challenged environments.
AeroVironment says the Switchblade 300 Block 20 adds a modular payload approach and, in this Army order, includes an explosively formed penetrator (EFP) payload. The company says the Block 20 configuration also includes sensor updates, changes to user interfaces, and extended-range options.
