AeroVironment, Inc. has announced that the United States Army Close Combat Weapons Systems Project Office has awarded the company a contract for Block 10C Switchblade Lethal Miniature Aerial Missile Systems (LMAMS) and support services valued at $22,776,812 through a Joint Urgent Operational Needs Statement. Delivery is anticipated within 12 months.
First deployed by United States forces in 2011, the AeroVironment Switchblade provides warfighters with force protection and precision strike capabilities up to ten kilometers from its launch location, with minimal to no collateral damage and wave-off capability. Block 10C Switchblade, introduced by AeroVironment in May 2016, incorporates improvements based on feedback from users, including encrypted digital communications.
“Switchblade is a mature system, in production, that delivers unmatched force protection and precision strike capabilities to American forces,” said Kirk Flittie, AeroVironment vice president and general manager of its Unmanned Aircraft Systems business segment. “Soldier-portable and lightweight, Switchblade is a uniquely powerful LMAMS solution for complex combat environments. AeroVironment stands ready, with a proven product, supply chain and production system, to respond rapidly to this and future requirements.”
Source: Press Release