AeroVironment and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) have successfully conducted the first air launch of a Switchblade 600 loitering munition from an MQ-9A Reaper drone, marking a significant milestone in expanding long-range precision strike capabilities for unmanned aerial systems.
The test campaign, held at the US Army Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona in July, validated the compatibility of the Switchblade 600 with the MQ-9A platform and showcased satellite communication control for beyond-line-of-sight operations.