New Switchblade 600 Block 2 kamikaze drone can fly more than 50 minutes before striking.

AeroVironment introduced the Switchblade 600 Block 2 at AUSA 2025 as part of a unified loitering-munition family that also includes the Switchblade 400 and the Switchblade 300 Block 20.

At the 2025 Association of the United States Army exposition, AeroVironment revealed the Switchblade 600 Block 2, an improved version of its Switchblade 600 long-range loitering drone used for precision anti-armor missions. The upgrades include a more efficient airframe, a higher-capacity power system, and onboard AI-assisted target recognition designed to help U.S. forces operate effectively in communication- and GPS-contested environments. Extending operational time beyond 50 minutes, the Switchblade 600 Block 2 will enter production in 2026 for U.S. programs, including Replicator and LASSO.
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The Switchblade 600 Block 2 integrates larger wings and a higher-capacity battery to extend endurance by about 20 percent, while retaining the tube-launched, tablet-controlled operational concept that allows a crew to ready and launch the drone in under ten minutes. (Picture source: Army Recognition)

AeroVironment unveiled the Switchblade 600 Block 2 as the headline addition to an expanded Switchblade family that also includes the Switchblade 400 and the Switchblade 300 Block 20 with an explosively formed penetrator option. The company framed the three variants as a family designed to cover a spectrum of tactical roles from backpackable short-range effects to long-endurance, multi-domain anti-armor missions and tied the announcement to existing U.S. programs such as LASSO and Replicator. The presentation included detailed technical and operational data, production targets and delivery timelines intended to show how Block 2 builds on the operational profile of the 600 baseline while preserving commonality across the family.

The Switchblade 600 Block 2 retains the tube-launched, tablet-controlled operational concept of the 600 baseline while introducing aerodynamic and powertrain changes that increase endurance by about 20 percent. The upgraded airframe uses larger wings and a higher capacity battery to achieve endurance figures above 50 minutes in typical mission profiles, and published employment modes reference ranges and handoff or relay reach in excess of 100 kilometers and specific profiles indicating 110+ kilometers under certain conditions. The all-up-round mass is given at approximately 68 pounds or 30.8 kilograms, the munition element is listed separately at roughly 36 pounds or 16.3 kilograms, and the total removable payload capacity is noted at about 7 pounds or 3.17 kilograms for secondary mission equipment.

Block 2’s sensor, navigation, and command-and-control suite is oriented to contested electromagnetic environments and to reducing operator workload through onboard edge compute. The variant incorporates AI/ML-enabled automatic target recognition for detection, classification, and tracking of static and moving targets, a dual EO/IR gimbaled sensor turret, encrypted M-code GPS for hardened navigation, and low-latency mesh networking such as Silvus MANET radios to support relay and handoff architectures. Retained features include a tablet-based fire control unit with tap-to-target guidance, built-in mission planning and training simulator functions, patented wave-off and recommit capabilities, and continuous positive identification options that preserve operator-in-the-loop authority while permitting faster engagement cycles.

The Block 2 packaging and environmental hardening expand launch options and operating envelopes to include maritime conditions and multi-platform employment. The system is rated to IP67 for maritime exposure and is described as launchable from dismounted positions, ground vehicles, and surface vessels with setup times under ten minutes from cold start, enabling rapid response across the battlespace. Launcher and system dimensions cited include a launcher length near 60 inches or 1.5 meters and a launcher diameter near 7.5 inches or 19.2 centimeters, and operating altitude and ceiling figures list typical employment altitudes and a ceiling greater than 15,000 feet mean sea level, depending on mission mode.

Typical loiter speed is given near 70 mph or 113 kph, while sprint speed reaches roughly 115 mph or 185 kph, and endurance and range are extended relative to the baseline 600 to allow longer dwell and handoff employment. The primary anti-armor warhead lineage remains Javelin-derived for the 600 family, while Block 2 adds a secondary payload bay to permit multi-mission flexibility such as additional sensors, electronic-warfare modules, or alternate effects, all within a common MOSA architecture that uses the same avionics, camera designs, and tablet UI across variants to simplify logistics and operator training.

The 600 baseline and other family members provide operational context for Block 2 and illustrate intended role differentiation. The Switchblade 600 was developed to bring loitering munition effects to anti-armor engagements with a gimbaled EO/IR turret, encrypted datalinks, and tablet fire control, and it has been used in live-fire trials and experimental air-launch events that validated handoff and beyond-line-of-sight control concepts. Other variants remain relevant to short and medium ranges: the Switchblade 300 Block 20 preserves a backpackable profile while adding a modular EFP payload and improved panning camera and PID functions, and the Switchblade 400 is sized as a sub-40-pound single-soldier lift medium-range anti-armor option with rocket-assisted takeoff and CLT compatibility to permit integration with crewed and uncrewed launch platforms.

Production scale and fielding timelines accompany Block 2 deliveries and broader demand. Block 2 deliveries to U.S. customers are planned to begin in early 2026, and the company has set a target to increase Switchblade output to roughly 1,200 units per month or about 14,400 units per year. To support that ramp, a new FreedomWerx manufacturing facility in Salt Lake City is planned to add assembly, test and integration lines and is expected to come online between late 2026 and early 2027, while existing U.S. facilities in Simi Valley, Los Angeles, and Arlington will continue to operate. The company has tied production growth plans to recent procurement activity, past LASSO purchases, and multi-year delivery targets that underpin the planned manufacturing expansion.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.