US Army chooses AeroVironment's Switchblade 600 loitering munition for LASSO Program.

On March 10, 2024, the U.S. Army announced a funding request of $120.6 million for the acquisition of Low Altitude Stalking and Strike Ordnance (LASSO) systems for fiscal year 2025. This initiative is part of a strategy aimed at maintaining operational superiority on the battlefield by leveraging the most advanced available technologies. To achieve this, the U.S. Army has selected AeroVironment's Switchblade 600 as the first developed drone.
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AeroVironment's Switchblade 600 loitering munition  (Picture source: Army Recognition)

LASSO represents a new generation of loitering munitions, also known as kamikaze drones, designed to provide precise and lethal striking capabilities against a range of enemy targets, including troop formations, armored vehicles, and tanks. Unlike traditional munitions, LASSO can patrol a designated area until a target is identified, then destroy it by crashing into it, offering increased precision while reducing the risk of collateral damage.

As part of the LASSO program, the U.S. Army has chosen AeroVironment's Switchblade 600 as the first developed drone. The Switchblade 600 is a next-generation loitering munition, also known as a suicide drone, designed and developed by the American company AeroVironment. It is the larger version of the Switchblade 300 but equipped with an anti-tank warhead based on the Javelin anti-tank missile, designed to neutralize heavy armored vehicles and tanks. This drone represents a significant advancement in the field of extended-range loitering missiles, offering unprecedented support for reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition, as well as high optical precision, over 40 minutes of flight endurance, and an anti-armor warhead for engaging larger and more resilient targets at greater distances.

The Switchblade 600 is equipped with high-resolution EO/IR gimbal sensors and advanced precision flight controls used for navigation, surveillance, and targeting. The drone also carries an anti-tank warhead based on the Javelin anti-tank missile, designed to neutralize armored vehicles.

This drone offers an all-in-one, man-portable solution, including everything needed to plan and execute missions successfully, and can be deployed and operational in less than 10 minutes. It can also be configured for launch from a vehicle or slow-moving aircraft. With its precise acquisition and striking capabilities, the Switchblade 600 enables the neutralization of targets at greater distances without requiring ISR (intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance) or external fire assets.

While the funding request for LASSO in 2025 represents a significant step in the modernization of the U.S. Army's capabilities, the future of the program will depend on its successful deployment and ongoing adaptation to changing operational requirements.