Army awards deal to AV for new Switchblade 400 kamikaze drone to support LASSO program | DefenseScoop
AI Analysis
The U.S. Army has awarded AeroVironment (AV) a prototype agreement for the Switchblade 400 kamikaze drone to support the Low Altitude Stalking and Strike Ordnance (LASSO) program. This program aims to enhance the loitering munition capabilities of Mobile Brigade Combat Teams (MBCTs) and address a capability gap in targeting armored vehicles and personnel. AV has a strong existing relationship with the Army, having recently secured contracts for the Switchblade 600 and 300 variants.
Key Takeaways
- The LASSO program focuses on providing MBCTs with organic, long-range precision strike capabilities against a variety of targets (tanks, armored vehicles, personnel).
- The Switchblade 400 is being evaluated as an addition to the LASSO program, following the initial selection of the Switchblade 600.
- LASSO prioritizes minimal collateral damage, offering abort capabilities and suitability for complex terrain.
- Future LASSO increments will focus on increased range, lethality, and payload options.
- The Army's investment in kamikaze drones is driven by their demonstrated effectiveness in conflicts like the Ukraine-Russia war.
Why It Matters
The adoption of loitering munitions like the Switchblade 400 represents a significant shift in battlefield tactics, offering a cost-effective and precise method for neutralizing enemy armor and personnel. Expanding the LASSO program demonstrates the Army’s commitment to distributed lethality and adapting to the evolving threat landscape of modern warfare. This procurement signals a move towards increased reliance on unmanned systems for direct combat roles.
Army awards deal to AV for new Switchblade 400 kamikaze drone to support LASSO program | DefenseScoop
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The Army has awarded AeroVironment a prototype agreement for the drone maker’s latest Switchblade variant, the company announced Monday.
The award is related to the service’s Low Altitude Stalking and Strike Ordnance (LASSO) program, which aims to boost the loitering munition capabilities of mobile brigade combat teams.
Kamikaze drone technology has been a major factor on the battlefield and a leading case of casualties in the Ukraine-Russia war, and Pentagon officials are moving to boost the U.S. military’s arsenal for these types of weapons.
The U.S. Army’s mobile brigade combat teams “lack adequate proportional organic capabilities at echelon to apply immediate, point, long range, and direct fire effects to destroy tanks, light armored vehicles, hardened targets, defilade, and personnel targets, while producing minimal collateral damage in complex terrain in all environmental conditions,” officials wrote in fiscal 2027 budget documents.
The LASSO program is meant to help address that shortfall.
The system provides a day/night capable, lightweight, unmanned aerial anti-tank ordnance, man-portable weapon that consists of an all-up round and fire control system, according to budget documents.
The kamikaze drone will have a flight endurance that “enables the Soldier to make multiple orbits within the [infantry brigade combat team] typically assigned battlespace, to acquire and attack targets within and beyond current crew served and small arms fire,” officials wrote.
“The range/endurance enables the unit to utilize reach back capability and maximize standoff. Unlike existing direct and indirect fire weapon systems, LASSO’s discreet payload and unique capability delivers Soldiers the ability to abort against targets in a dynamic situation (e.g., use of human shields) or prosecute targets that would have been deemed non-viable in past due to the higher collateral damage associated with alternative munitions,” they added.
The Army has been keen on AV’s drones. In August 2024, it awarded the company a nearly $1 billion contract for Switchblade 600 and Switchblade 300 variants to support a lethal unmanned systems directed requirement. In February 2026, the firm announced a $186 million delivery order for Block 2 variants of those drones.
The SB 600 was chosen for the first increment of LASSO, but the Army has been looking to add more platforms to the program.
“The LASSO base capability will be optimized to defeat tanks rapidly and precisely for MBCTs. Follow on increments will support future capabilities for company and below echelons. Future increments will focus on additional range increases, enhanced lethality, and advanced payload options (personnel, hard sites, etc.),” according to the budget documents.
AV unveiled the SB 400 last fall. The drone can destroy moving tanks and armored vehicles at dista