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The US navy is sending some greater than 700 AeroVironment Switchblade drones to assist Ukrainian navy.
AeroVironment
America has despatched 600 extra AeroVironment Switchblade drones to assist the Ukrainian navy counter Russia’s invasion, the US Protection Division revealed Thursday. That is a significant improve from the 100 drones the US despatched in March.
The drones are “loitering munitions” that may circle above a battlefield earlier than in impact changing into missiles that assault particular targets. They’re included within the Pentagon’s new $800 million in navy assist to Ukraine, a package deal that brings the nation’s complete contributions to $2.6 billion in safety help. The US additionally has despatched an undisclosed variety of AeroVironment Puma drones, which might circle for hours above a battlefield and assist troopers direct Switchblades towards their targets.
Drones in Ukraine are altering the character of battle, offering a comparatively low-cost means for troopers to see what is going on on and launch assaults in opposition to costly armored automobiles. Ukrainian troops are utilizing every thing from small business drones to the massive navy Turkish-built Bayraktar TB2.
However that does not imply extra conventional weaponry is out of date. The US additionally has shipped to Ukraine 50 million rounds of ammunition, 16 Mi-17 helicopters, 18 155mm howitzers, 1,400 shoulder-launched Stinger anti-aircraft missile methods, 5,500 shoulder-launched Javelin missile methods for attacking armored automobiles, 200 armored personnel carriers, 14 counter-artillery radar methods and 75,000 units of physique armor and helmets, the Pentagon mentioned.
AeroVironment makes the 5.5-pound Switchblade 300, designed to assault troopers and smaller automobiles, and the 50-pound Switchblade 600 for bigger, armored automobiles. The Protection Division and AeroVironment did not instantly touch upon which fashions are being despatched to Ukraine.
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