Photo By Spc. Julian Winston | First Team Troopers fly the munition during a Switchblade live-fire exercise on Fort...... read more read more
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FORT HOOD, Texas — As part of Pegasus Charge, 1st Cavalry Division’s effort in support of the Army’s Transforming in Contact, or TiC, initiative to modernize armored formations, Soldiers with 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cav. Div., conducted Fort Hood’s first-ever live-fire exercise of the Switchblade 600 Loitering Munition System Sept. 15 at a range in the installation’s eastern training area.
The Switchblade 600 — a tube-launched, unmanned aircraft system — has already seen extensive use by Special Operations Forces, light infantry units and foreign partners. The 1st Cavalry Division is among the first armored units to field the system.
“This is the first time for all of our Soldiers to see these munitions fired, and you can feel the excitement in the air,” said Capt. Jeffrey Weller, commander of the Multi-Functional Reconnaissance Troop, 2nd ABCT, 1st Cav. Div. “The Switchblade enables the brigade to engage targets with precision between five and 15 kilometers in front of our forward line of troops, extending our reach and lethality.”
Modernizing the fight
The Army’s broader TiC initiative aims to overhaul how armored formations fight by integrating new technologies, particularly drones and advanced communications.
“A huge thing the Army has seen across multiple battlefields, whether in Ukraine or elsewhere, is the rapid modernization and high usage of drones,” Weller said. “We’re taking those lessons learned and revamping our UAS systems to stay ahead of adversaries.”
Switchblade capabilities
Roughly five feet long and weighing 75 pounds, the battery-powered Switchblade 600 resembles a drone but carries a Javelin multipurpose warhead. It has a flight time of 40 to 45 minutes, a range of up to 27 miles, and delivers a 5-pound explosive payload.
“It’s a remote-controlled missile that flies like a drone until it gets to the target,” explained Martin Van Buren, flight operations supervisor with AeroVironment, Inc., the system’s manufacturer. “The operator uses onboard cameras to identify, select and engage the target.”
Once launched from its tube, the Switchblade can navigate through waypoints, loiter over the target area, and strike with precision. Operators also retain the ability to wave off a strike mid-flight if conditions change.
“The Switchblade allows us to target vehicles or small groups of personnel from much farther away than before,” Weller said. “It increases our lethality, minimizes collateral damage, and helps protect Soldiers on the front lines.”
Training the operators
Before the live fire, Soldiers completed a five-day training course with AeroVironment instructors. They learned to set up, arm and program the drones for flight and strike missions.
Spc. Drake Cross, a Switchblade operator who has flown RQ-7 Shadow and RQ-28 Quadcopter drones, MFRT, 2nd ABCT, 1st Cav. Div. said this was his first experience with a munition-carrying UAS.
“Everything else I’ve flown has been for surveillance and target acquisition,” Cross said. “This is the first one where I can actually deliver a round. It’s exciting because it saves Soldiers’ lives by hitting targets without putting us in danger.”
Cross added the system was user-friendly and similar to other UAS platforms. “There’s not much of a learning curve,” he said. “Once you identify and lock onto a target, you can adjust right up until impact to make sure you’re hitting what you want.”
Looking ahead
Weller said the Switchblade is just one example of how TiC is reshaping the 1st Cav. Div.’s armored formations.
“The battlefield is constantly changing, and the Army has to modernize to keep pace,” Weller said. “Seeing systems like the Switchblade in action shows us the future of how our formations will fight. It’s a big step toward keeping our Soldiers safer and more lethal.”
The Soldiers will also use the Switchblade 600 system during their upcoming rotation at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California, Weller added.
| Date Taken: | 09.25.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.26.2025 09:48 |
| Story ID: | 549283 |
| Location: | TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 51 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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