The deal in question is the $990-million contract awarded to AeroVironment on August 27 for an “organic, stand-off solution” capable of neutralizing hostile tanks, armored vehicles, and personnel targets.

Although the grounds for the petition have not yet been disclosed, the protest will halt production of the loitering munitions while the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) reviews the case.

An official decision is expected to be made within 100 calendar days as required by law.

If successful, Mistral’s protest could force the US Army to re-open a competition.

The Agreement

On August 28, AeroVironment confirmed it had entered a five-year agreement with the US Army to support its Lethal Unmanned Systems (LUS) requirement by supplying an undisclosed number of Switchblade attack drones.

The systems will be used by dismounted infantry formations to defend against the threats of enemy armored assets.

The company stated that its Switchblade munitions will enhance soldier lethality and give operators the ability to track and engage moving, non-line-of-sight targets.

“AV (AeroVironment) is proud to have been selected to provide Switchblade for this critical and urgent army requirement,” Senior VP Brett Hush noted.

Deliveries of the Switchblade systems were originally scheduled to begin in months, but the protest may delay them until next year.

‘Well Positioned’

The Switchblade is a tube-launched, precision-guided munition that is flown like a drone and detonates upon contact with the target.

It can stay airborne for up to 20 minutes to monitor the surroundings and search for a target.

Prior to Mistral’s protest, AeroVironment said that its Switchblade munitions offer “unmatched maturity and effectiveness” for various missions.

Additionally, the company affirmed it is well positioned to meet the army’s emerging needs by leveraging robust production capability and supply chain capacity.

“This contract further solidifies AV’s role as a leading provider of innovative unmanned solutions,” AeroVironment noted. “The company remains committed to supporting US Army missions by delivering advanced technology that ensures operational superiority”

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Valued at $990 million, the contract noted that the solution must be “organic” and capable of neutralizing hostile tanks, armored vehicles, and personnel targets.

It will be used by dismounted infantry formations to defend themselves against the threats of enemy armored assets.

The US Army did not provide specific details about the desired features of the stand-off solution.

Work for the contract is expected to be complete by August 2029.

Addressing ‘Critical Gaps’

In late 2023, the Association of the US Army released a startling report claiming that there were critical gaps in the service’s anti-tank capability.

It said that while the army has invested in material solutions such as active protection systems, it does not have a “holistic” approach to fill such gaps.

The service has made several investments to bolster its anti-tank capabilities, including a $323-million agreement with Raytheon to supply tube-launched, optically-tracked, wireless-guided (TOW) 2B anti-tank missiles.

It also integrated some of its anti-tank weapon systems into robotic platforms to keep soldiers safe from enemy counter-fire.

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The procurement follows the apparent success of the suicide drone in neutralizing Russian military assets, even in the presence of sophisticated electronic warfare systems.

According to the country’s defense ministry, the move will equip the Australian Defence Force (ADF) with “world-leading lethality and protection” to effectively perform various missions.

It would also help ensure the military maintains a strategic advantage over potential adversaries.

“The prosperity and security of our nation will always be a top priority…” defense industry minister Pat Conroy said. “That’s why giving our soldiers the critical capabilities they need to protect Australians, and their interests, is paramount.”

Below Threshold?

Canberra has not yet disclosed the value of the contract or how many Switchblades are being procured.

However, it said initial deliveries are expected later this year.

The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), which typically announces the sales of US-made defense systems to foreign entities, has yet to issue a formal notification regarding the Australian acquisition.

However, with Canberra expecting deliveries this year, the foreign military sale has likely already been approved.

One possible reason the sale has not appeared on the DSCA website is that it has not reached a certain threshold, which for Australia is $25 million, which would mean the total value of the order would be less than 37 million Australian dollars.

About the Switchblade 300

AeroVironment’s Switchblade 300 is a miniature drone capable of attacking enemy armored vehicles, fortifications, or beyond-line-of-sight assets.

It can be fired from either a mobile position on the field or from a fixed defensive position.

The system also operates with a low acoustic signature, making it difficult to detect, recognize, or track even at very close range.

Additionally, it provides real-time video and cursor-on-target GPS coordinates to aid target acquisition and information gathering.

Australia’s acquisition of the Switchblade 300 is expected to boost the ADF’s arsenal of around 760 unmanned aerial systems for surveillance, reconnaissance, and attack missions.

Apart from Ukraine, the unmanned platform has been used in Iraq and Afghanistan.

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The sale includes 291 ALTIUS 600M-V aerial systems and related equipment for an estimated $300 million.

An Altius 600M-V comprises a loitering munition with an extensible warhead and electro-optical/infrared camera.

The 27-pound (12-kilogram) system has an endurance of up to four hours.

Related equipment includes launch systems, ground control systems, training drones, and associated support, including spares and battery chargers.

Switchblade 300s

Also approved is the sale of Switchblade 300 anti-personnel and anti-armor loitering missile systems and related equipment for an estimated cost of $60.2 million. 

Taiwan requested 720 Switchblade 300s and 101 SB300 fire control systems.

The 2.5-kilogram (5.5-pound) AeroVironment system has a flight endurance of 15 minutes and a range of 10 kilometers (6 miles).

“This proposed sale serves US national, economic, and security interests by supporting the recipient’s continuing efforts to modernize its armed forces and to maintain a credible defensive capability,” the Defense Security Cooperation Agency stated.

“The proposed sale will help improve the security of the recipient and assist in maintaining political stability, military balance, and economic progress in the region.”

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The program seeks cost-effective “force multiplier” capabilities in the form of autonomous systems to counter Chinese threats across different domains.

For the Replicator’s first tranche, AeroVironment will supply its proprietary Switchblade 600 man-portable, extended-range loitering munition system, which has also been used by Ukraine against Russian forces.

The Switchblade 600 incorporates precision flight control and modern sensors to sustain rapid launch and engagement against non-line-of-sight targets.

The drone is designed with a patented “wave-off and recommit” solution, enabling users to abort neutralization and re-engage in unforeseen conditions.

The Switchblade 600 is equipped with anti-armor and anti-personnel effects. It has an endurance of more than 40 minutes, a range of up to 90 miles (56 miles), and speed up to 185 kilometers (115 miles) per hour.

“Switchblade 600 is a battle-proven system in full-rate production that can support the [Department of Defense’s] desire to field thousands of autonomous systems across multiple warfighting domains,” AeroVironment Loitering Munitions SVP Brett Hush remarked.

“Our uncrewed systems, autonomy technology and computer vision software can help achieve multi domain operations in a heavily contested battlespace, at very low costs and high levels of resiliency.”

“We have not only invested in the maturation of such disruptive technologies but also the production capability and capacity to produce large volumes at the level of reliability that the US [Department of Defense] expects.”

The Replicator Initiative

According to the Pentagon, the Replicator initiative will receive initial funding of approximately $500 million.

Work for the maritime domain will focus on unmanned surface vehicles and is now in process under the agency’s Production-Ready, Inexpensive, Maritime Expeditionary (PRIME) Commercial Solutions Opening.

PRIME, launched in January, has received more than 100 applications from commercial vendors.

Other Phase 1 articles for the Replicator’s maritime and counter-drone areas remain classified, the department wrote.

The overall Replicator program will be facilitated over 18 to 24 months, with approximate funding of $1 billion per year.

“This is a critical step in delivering the capabilities we need, at the scale and speed we need, to continue securing a free and open Indo-Pacific,” a statement from the Pentagon said.

“Meeting the strategic imperatives facing the nation requires that we harness the very best of America’s commercial technology in non-traditional partners, alongside our traditional sources of defense capabilities.”

“Replicator is helping us jumpstart the delivery of critical capabilities at scale. We will build on that momentum with industry partners to deliver what the warfighter needs, and remove barriers to doing so again and again.”

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The $8.9 million initial contract has a potential value of $249 million.

Two other companies — Anduril and Teledyne FLIR — have also been selected for the program out of a pool of eight contenders. 

 “AV (AeroVironment) offers a battle-proven and production-ready system to support OPF-L to meet the Marine Corps’ requirements,” AV’s Senior Vice President Brett Hush said.

“Our mature and trusted manufacturing capability combined with world-class training and support will ensure Marine Infantry is adequately prepared for the fight.”

Switchblade 300 Block 20 

The Block 20 offers significant upgrades over the Switchblade 300, including armor penetration, target attack angle, battery life, flight endurance, and radio link range.

“With over 6,000 Switchblade loitering missiles tested, produced, and fielded, AV is in a unique position to offer revolutionary organic precision fire capabilities to the USMC, leveraging the proven reliability, producibility and supportability of current Switchblade programs,” continued Hush.

Organic Precision Fires-Light

The Organic Precision Fires-Light program seeks to equip the service with a loitering, beyond line-of-sight precision engagement capability with a greater range than direct fire weapons and minimum collateral damage and exposure to enemy fires.

The OPF-L will be deployed at the tactical level — rifle squads and platoons, referred to as the “organic” level of operations.

According to the Marines’ Force Design 2030 update from June 2023, there are two more OPF variants: mounted and infantry.

Mistral and UVision’s loitering munitions were selected for the OPF Mounted in 2022.

These munitions are intended to be integrated into the Light Armored Vehicle-Medium, Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, and Long-Range Uncrewed Surface Vessel.

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The new power source allows for an extended flight time of up to three hours, providing operators “with greater mission flexibility and time on station across land and maritime operations,” the company said.

Customers of the AeroVironment drone now have the option of the standard “smart” battery with two and a half hours of flight time or the company’s new PS2500 with three hours of endurance.

Improved Capacity

The battery pack’s high-energy-density lithium-ion composition has an improved capacity of 24.5Ah (amp-hours) but with the size and form to be easily integrated into the Puma 3 AE’s battery bay. It is also interoperable with Puma LE.

“The new PS2500 battery offers both new and current Puma customers the opportunity to dramatically expand the duration of their operations, enabling more ground covered in a single flight,” AeroVironment VP of small unmanned aerial systems Brad Truesdell said.

 “Adding longer endurance capabilities to Puma’s existing flexible launch options and modularity makes it a truly unparalleled asset for various types of operations.”

The post New Battery Powers AeroVironment’s Puma 3 AE Drone Up to Three Hours appeared first on The Defense Post.

If selected, the AeroVironment system will be “mass produced and rapidly scaled” for the Pentagon’s counter-China initiative, Defense Scoop revealed, citing sources.

It is the first reported system being considered for the initiative, for which a “small number of capabilities” have already been selected.

Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks did not specify the capabilities in January, saying that “acquisition strategies for specific platforms that could fill the bill” are being prepared.

“The deputy secretary selected capability areas in December. The military departments then identified specific systems and associated acquisition strategies to meet those capability needs,” Defense Scoop quoted Pentagon spokesperson Eric Pahon as saying.

“We submitted a spend plan and reprogramming requests to Congress. We hope they will act quickly, which will allow us to ramp up and accelerate production on Replicator capabilities. We aren’t able to provide specifics on the reprogramming request at this time,” he said.

The Switchblade 600 

The 15-kilogram (33-pound) aerial weapon features high-precision optics and an anti-armor warhead to take out hardened targets, including tanks.

It features an endurance of 40 minutes and a range of 40 kilometers (25 miles).

Loitering munitions is just one of the capabilities being considered for the initiative, which conceptually includes the deployment of thousands of unmanned systems to counter China’s growing military capability. 

“I don’t think ‘kamikaze drone’ is the right way to think about it. You need to think, again, well beyond the kinetic side of this into the ability to deliver logistics, command and control, ISR, if you will, and again, multiple domains,” the outlet quoted Hicks as saying.

Swarm of Unmanned Explosive Boats

Another potential Replicator capability being considered is swarms of unmanned surface vessels.

The Pentagon plans to deploy hundreds, if not thousands, of unmanned “interceptor” boats against a numerically superior Chinese Navy.

At least 120 vessels are expected to be produced annually from 2025 for the initiative under the Production-Ready, Inexpensive, Maritime Expeditionary project.

“This is their effort to try to get some new kinetic, lethal USV fielded that can be employed probably in a western Pacific context – maybe the Strait of Taiwan,” naval analyst Bryan Clark told USNI News about the project.

“They want to go out to the commercial world and say, ‘Alright, what do you got in terms of kinetic, lethal USVs that can be produced at scale’.”

The post US Considering Switchblade Drone Swarms for Counter-China Initiative appeared first on The Defense Post.

The agreement will deliver the Grip Tab Active, a variant of the Tomahawk’s unmanned system console equipped with metallic casing, rugged design, and military-hardened buttons and joysticks.

It is integrated into a smartphone device for real-time control and monitoring of autonomous deployment on the battlefield.

Grip Tab Active is compatible with the Tomahawk’s RAID universal tactical kit, a chest-worn, AI-enabled system with advanced networking, a submersible chassis, modules for precision strikes, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations.

Once shipped, the controller prototypes and corresponding test kits will be leveraged by the US Department of Defense “to evaluate the technical capabilities for future operations.”

The large-screen tablet controller will also be used for other programs under the US Marine Corps Force Design 2030, an initiative seeking modernized technologies to sustain the expeditionary warfighter advantage in the next decade.

Enabling a Wider Perspective

According to AeroVironment, the Grib Tab Active controllers will be part of the broader Kinesis Ecosystem, a network of manned-unmanned systems incorporating more than 20 robotic systems, input devices, and AI-enhanced equipment.

This setup offers “multi-domain, many-to-many UxV operations” using one user interface, allowing military users to conveniently manage various drone assets.

“AeroVironment is excited to deliver these systems to the [Department of Defense],” AeroVironment Tomahawk Robotics Product Line Manager Scott Bowman stated.

“The tablet-based Grip Tab Active Controller will provide a larger viewing area and dedicated safety functions to operate large vehicles and weapon systems, all while maintaining the low-profile, ruggedized design our customers have come to expect from the Tomahawk product line.”

“This controller will improve operator efficiency and unlock new use cases such as fire control and sensor-to-shooter.”

The post US Marines to Receive Controllers for Multiple Drones From AeroVironment appeared first on The Defense Post.

Firms mentioned in the decision released by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs are BAE Systems Land and Armaments, AeroVironment, Viasat, Alliant Techsystems Operation, and Data Link Solutions.

The foreign ministry wrote that the sales bypassed China’s authority and posed a threat to the republic’s national security and sovereignty.

The penalty will freeze the companies’ moveable and immovable properties based in China and prohibit organizations and individuals from engaging with the businesses.

“The US arms sales to China’s Taiwan region… undermine the peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and violate the legitimate and lawful rights and interests of Chinese companies and individuals,” the ministry said.

“China strongly deplores and firmly opposes this and has made solemn démarches to the US.”

In the statement, the agency reiterated China’s territorial sovereignty over Taiwan and reminded Washington to acknowledge its standing relationship with Beijing over the matter.

“We urge the United States to abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués, observe international law and the basic norms governing international relations, stop arming Taiwan, and stop targeting China with illegal unilateral sanctions,” the foreign ministry said.

“Otherwise, there will be a strong and resolute response from China.”

Latest US Foreign Military Sales to Taiwan

The US State Department approved the $300-million sale of military information system equipment to the Taiwanese government last month.

In August 2023, Washington cleared Taipei’s purchase of advanced airborne tracking sensors for its F-16 Fighting Falcon combat jets.

The US also announced plans to approve a separate contract worth $440 million to Taiwan in June to increase the country’s ammunition and repair parts for weapons and vehicles.

In 2022, the Pentagon signed a $180-million sale of vehicle-launched anti-tank systems to Taipei.

The same year, the US government announced a $1.1-billion military sale to Taiwan to boost its surveillance and air defense capabilities.

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