“sceneries from science fiction are becoming a terrifying reality in conflict”
2024-09-08
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reference news reported on september 6according to the u.s. national interest bimonthly website on september 3, drones are completely changing the face of modern warfare. coupled with other tools such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and future quantum computing, the scenes depicted in science fiction are becoming a very scary reality in conflicts.
in ukraine, the world is seeing how drones are changing warfare. likewise, in the ongoing war between iran and israel, drones are reshaping strategy and tactics. recognizing this change, the u.s. army is naturally taking action.
the u.s. army has signed a $1 billion contract with military drone manufacturer aerovironment to purchase the company's signature switchblade suicide drone, according to a report from the u.s. war zone. the five-year deal demonstrates the army's clear commitment to continually enhancing the capabilities and protection of its infantry.
switchblade drones have been around since 2010. they have been used effectively against islamic state targets. in recent years, ukraine has used switchblade drones with great success against russian forces.
these drones hover over the battlefield until they identify a target, then swoop in and detonate once they are within striking distance. the two most popular switchblade models are the 300 and 600 series. the switchblade 300 has a range of up to 18 miles and a cruising time of 20 minutes. this model is great for killing enemy personnel. the switchblade 600 has a range of up to 24 miles and a cruising time of 40 minutes. these drones are equipped with anti-tank warheads, and ukraine uses them to strike at russian armored forces.
the switchblade drone thus revolutionized ground warfare by giving infantrymen of a particular military a mind-boggling tactical advantage against nearly any ground threat, from enemy personnel to tanks and other armored vehicles. it was a remarkable evolution.
the military calls this growing capability "distributed lethality." fundamentally, the army seeks to spread combat power more evenly across the modern battlefield. the army is reducing its reliance on larger, more expensive, and logistically burdensome armored units. as the war in ukraine has shown, asymmetric warfare is a necessity for modern warfare, and these drones are the pinnacle of non-traditional capabilities.
switchblade drones are a remarkable piece of battlefield technology. they are able to provide real-time video, and this feed provides precise targeting data to the troops using the switchblade. these weapons also reduce collateral damage. they are compact and can be fired from a simple launch tube, making them an effective and economical weapon on the modern battlefield.
the $1 billion contract is a major boon for aerovironment, further solidifying the company’s position among the rising class of defense contractors developing next-generation platforms that will revolutionize the battlefield. with the massive infusion of u.s. defense dollars over the next five years, and demand only increasing as the global threat environment worsens, companies like aerovironment that are aligned with the changing landscape will be the biggest beneficiaries.
innovation often occurs in nonlinear paths. just a decade ago, no one could have imagined that drones would evolve into the game-changing weapons platform they are today. as artificial intelligence and other new algorithms are applied to the battlefield, the way humans wage war in a decade will also be completely unimaginable to those of us who have spent our lives studying these issues.
indeed, entirely new concepts of automated warfare may be developed as we enter a bold and terrifying new world of warfare.
