Ukraine-Russia, how war changes with US drones

“The ‘Switchblade’ is a type of so-called ‘stray’ ammunition, a missile that Admiral De Giorgi defined as ‘less stupid’ and that can fly with an autonomy of up to 40 minutes above the target, select it by means of a camera optronica and hit it at the best moment “. Tiziano Ciocchetti deals with the ‘Military World’ area within the ‘Online Defense’ magazine and explains to Adnkronos how the new ‘kamikaze’ drones that the US will supply to Ukraine in the war against Russia work. “They are systems designed to hit precise targets in a specific operational context, invisible, without an integrated anti-aircraft radar system. Their effectiveness is particularly demonstrated in use against individual soldiers or targeting armored vehicles, not so much tanks, since they can carry an explosive charge of up to 15 kilos “. The US-made ‘Switchblades’, whose unit cost ranges from $ 6,000 for the ‘300’ model to double the price for the ‘600’, therefore have a less disruptive impact on enemy positions than Turkish-made drones so far. used to great effect by the Ukrainians. But they have to their advantage the great versatility of use, a slim device that the operator can use: “A launching tube is enough – explains Ciocchetti – for these drones which in the largest model weigh only 50 kilos, while the Turkish TB2s , if it is true that they can carry up to 200 kilos of explosives with a flight range of 2-3 hours, they still need a runway and heavier logistics and a structure with a console to remotely guide them “. “These are types of ammunition that will also enter service in Italy among special and unconventional forces – adds the military expert – In Ukraine the Switchblades will instead be used extensively, also thanks to the fact that an apparatus is sufficient to use them. extremely slim: a man can throw them both to hit enemy positions and for simple patrol operations, thanks to the optronic camera they are equipped with and whose images return to the operator’s portable receiver “. (by Cristiano Camera)