{"id":2918,"date":"2026-03-02T21:01:37","date_gmt":"2026-03-02T21:01:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/?p=2918"},"modified":"2026-03-02T21:01:39","modified_gmt":"2026-03-02T21:01:39","slug":"av-receives-186-million-us-army-delivery-order-for-next-generation-switchblade-systems","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/?p=2918","title":{"rendered":"AV Receives $186 Million US Army Delivery Order for Next-Generation Switchblade Systems"},"content":{"rendered":"
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ARLINGTON, Va. \u2014\u00a0February 26, 2026\u00a0\u2014 AeroVironment, Inc. (\u201cAV\u201d) (NASDAQ: AVAV), a global leader in autonomous systems and precision strike solutions, today announced receipt of a $186\u00a0million delivery order from the U.S. Army for Switchblade\u00ae\u00a0600 Block 2 and Switchblade\u00ae\u00a0300 Block 20\u00a0explosively formed penetrator (EFP)\u00a0loitering munition systems.<\/p>\n

The order was issued under the Army\u2019s\u00a0existing five-year, $990 million Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract<\/a>\u00a0for Lethal Unmanned Systems (LUS), which was awarded in August 2024. This delivery order\u00a0marks\u00a0the U.S. Army\u2019s first procurement of AV\u2019s next-generation Switchblade product line,\u00a0underlining\u00a0a significant step forward in fielding advanced,\u00a0precision\u00a0loitering munitions\u00a0across infantry and maneuver formations. It is\u00a0the\u00a0Army\u2019s first\u00a0Switchblade\u00a0order\u00a0containing\u00a0EFP\u00a0payload, delivering enhanced lethality against armored threats.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis delivery order reflects the Army\u2019s confidence in the next evolution of the Switchblade family and its relevance to modern, contested battlefields,\u201d said Brian Young, Senior Vice President of Loitering Munitions at AV. \u201cSwitchblade 600 Block 2 and Switchblade 300 Block 20 build on years of combat experience while delivering meaningful upgrades in autonomy, resilience, and lethality tailored to today\u2019s operational demands.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Switchblade 600 Block 2\u00a0is AV\u2019s most advanced long-range loitering munition to date, designed for\u00a0multi-domain operations\u00a0and ruggedized for maritime and\u00a0highly contested environments.\u00a0Developed in collaboration with United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM),\u00a0the\u00a0system features upgraded avionics\u00a0and advanced\u00a0Automatic\u00a0Target Recognition (ATR), enabling faster detection, identification, and engagement of threats. Integrated resilient communications, including Silvus MANET radios, support distributed operations and extended handoff ranges, while improved navigation and mission resilience allow effective employment in GPS-challenged environments. These upgrades provide commanders with increased reach, flexibility, and confidence against armored and high-value targets.<\/p>\n

Switchblade\u00a0300 Block 20\u00a0introduces a new modular payload capability to the combat-proven, backpackable loitering munition. For the first time, the Army\u00a0has\u00a0procured\u00a0the system with an\u00a0Explosively Formed Penetrator (EFP) payload, delivering enhanced lethality against armored threats while retaining the speed, portability, and ease of use that have made Switchblade 300 a trusted solution at the small-unit level. The Block 20 configuration also includes sensor improvements, enhanced user interfaces, and extended range options, allowing rapid, precision effects beyond line of sight.<\/p>\n

Together, the Switchblade 600 Block 2 and Switchblade 300 Block 20 provide the Army with a scalable family of precision loitering munitions\u2014from lightweight, single-operator systems to long-endurance, multi-domain capabilities\u2014designed to operate seamlessly across echelons and mission sets.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis delivery order further advances the Army\u2019s Lethal Unmanned Systems Directed Requirement and reinforces AV\u2019s role as the leading provider of combat-proven loitering munition systems,\u201d said Young. \u201cAs we continue to invest in expanding Switchblade manufacturing capacity and accelerating delivery timelines, we are continuing to meet the growing demand for these products from U.S. and allied forces.\u201d<\/p>\n

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ARLINGTON, Va. \u2014\u00a0February 26, 2026\u00a0\u2014 AeroVironment, Inc. (\u201cAV\u201d) (NASDAQ: AVAV), a global leader in autonomous systems and precision strike solutions, today announced receipt of a $186\u00a0million delivery order from the U.S. Army for Switchblade\u00ae\u00a0600 Block 2 and Switchblade\u00ae\u00a0300 Block 20\u00a0explosively formed penetrator (EFP)\u00a0loitering munition systems. The order was issued under the Army\u2019s\u00a0existing five-year, $990 million […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2919,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-2918","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-army"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2918","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2918"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2918\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2920,"href":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2918\/revisions\/2920"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2919"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2918"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2918"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2918"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}