Lethal ‘kamikaze’ drones will hunt in pairs to take out Russian artillery
A “tag-team” of drones could soon be deployed for the first time in a battlefield to help Ukraine destroy Russian artillery.
The latest batch of lethal aid from the US could extend the range of the Switchblade “kamikaze” drone, which is already in use, by pairing it with the larger Puma drone.
The effort to seek out and destroy Russian missile and artillery units is seen as Kyiv’s next big requirement, as calls for a no-fly zone have dissipated in the wake of much-reduced Russian air activity.
The fierce Ukrainian resistance has curtailed activities by the Russian air force and Moscow has never achieved air superiority. Russia has therefore chosen to deploy long-range artillery and missiles to pulverise civilian areas in a bid to demoralise Ukrainian forces.
The focus now for Western countries is to donate weapons able to push Russian artillery systems further back, or destroy any that threaten civilian areas.
On April 1, the Pentagon announced a $300 million package of weapons for Ukraine. This second batch of arms takes to almost $1 billion the total pledged by the White House.
The latest package includes Switchblade loitering drones, designed to fly over a battlefield and select the best target to attack.
After launch, these lightweight weapons fly at about 60mph for up to 15 minutes, using an optical camera relaying video of the terrain to its controller.
As it is controlled by a human it is highly accurate. Once it finds a target, it dives down on to the vehicle or bunker complex. An explosive charge in the drone detonates on impact, giving such munitions the nickname “kamikaze”.
It is thought around 200 Switchblade drones have been supplied to Ukraine by the US.
British forces have experimented with Switchblade and are expected to take delivery of an unspecified number under a $44.9 million contract with the US supplier.
Of particular interest in the latest Pentagon lethal aid package is the addition of Puma drones.
Made by the same company as Switchblade, these “traditional” drones have cameras that swivel to provide stabilised views of the battlefield.
Puma has a low-light camera and an advanced thermal imager, making it ideal for night operations.
Hand launched with a 15-foot wingspan, Puma weighs almost 10kg and can stay airborne for more than five hours with a range of around 25 miles.
Last year AeroVironment, the manufacturer of Puma and Switchblade, introduced a “Sensor to Shooter” (S2S) kit which allows the drones to share digital data.
The S2S kit means Puma can locate targets with its superior sensors, for Switchblade to destroy.
The S2S system also allows the Puma operator to push a button and automatically launch a Switchblade which homes in on the target’s location, according to Forbes, the news agency. On arrival, imagery from the two are matched to confirm the Switchblade has the correct target; upon operator approval, it will engage.
By combining the two, a Switchblade would be able to fly directly to an area of operation without having to hunt for a target on its own. In effect, Puma will have increased the range of the Switchblade.
It means the Switchblade will be able to use most of its 15 minutes in the air travelling to attack a target that has already been spotted by Puma, thereby extending the operational range to 15 miles in any direction.
This is roughly the range of much of Russia’s multiple launch rocket systems and could give Ukraine the advantage in tactical battles.
This method of combining Puma and Switchblade attacks was demonstrated in October 2021 in a Nato maritime exercise off Portugal.
David Hambling, a commentator on military technology, said in an article for Forbes: “The teaming of drones and loitering munitions will be a big feature of future warfare and Russia is set to be on the receiving end of the first live tests.
“Whether or not we hear about it, the Puma-Switchblade teams will be making a difference.”
