Among the weapons that the US is about to provide Ukraine may include the Switchblade "suicide killer" drone, which is believed to contribute to changing the situation of the Russia-Ukraine war, Bloomberg reported.
Bloomberg on March 16, citing sources familiar with the matter, said that among the weapons that the US is about to provide Ukraine, there are 100 Switchblade unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), also known as "suicide killers".
The United States has not yet commented on this information, but President Joe Biden previously included drones in the list of military equipment provided to Ukraine to demonstrate Washington's commitment to support Ukraine's defense by means of military equipment. most advanced systems.
This is an unmanned aircraft manufactured by AeroVironment and was secretly shipped to Afghanistan in 2010 to serve the war against the Taliban. To date, the UK is the only country authorized by the US government to buy this weapon.
There are currently two models of drones called Switchblade, the Switchblade 300 and the Switchblade 600. The Switchblade 300 is used to accurately strike simple targets on the ground, while the Switchblade 600 is used to destroy armored vehicles or tanks.
Switchblade has a compact size, only about 61 cm in length, 2.7 kg in weight, and priced at about 6,000 USD/piece. The drone is called the Switchblade because of its blade-like wings that pop out when launched.
According to the manufacturer's specifications, the Switchblade can fly at a speed of 101 km / h, fly continuously for 40 minutes and operate at a distance of about 80 km. It has a camera mount that provides the operator with a visual display of the target of the combat area and can completely change the target mid-course. Switchblade is difficult to detect by enemy radars and can be used to accurately hit targets up to 11 km away, even destroying armored vehicles and tanks. Switchblade 600 is like a "self-propelled smart bomb" that can fly around the target waiting for an opportunity to attack.
Some military experts believe that these "killer" drones can change the tactics of land warfare. Sources say that the US military has been quietly using suicide drones for many years in targeted operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria.
According to Western military circles, drones have shown remarkable effectiveness in helping Ukraine to stop the advance of Russian forces. Ukraine mainly uses Turkish-made drones that can drop precision strike weapons.
The US and Western countries have continuously provided weapons to help Ukraine cope with Russia's military campaign. Moscow has criticized this as a dangerous move to escalate the situation, and warned that convoys carrying foreign weapons to Kiev could become "legitimate targets" of Russian forces.
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