Switchblade 600 Drones to Ukraine

choi

Today's news first.

(1) C Todd Lopez, DOD: More Javelins Approved for Ukraine; Switchblades On their Way. US Department of Defense )DOD)_, Apr 6, 2022
https://www.defense.gov/News/New ... lades-on-their-way/
(Kirby: " 'An individual could be suitably trained on how to use a Switchblade drone in about two days or so.'  Kirby told reporters the training mentioned by Austin and Milley involved a small number of Ukrainian soldiers who are already in the U.S. and have been in the US since the fall for professional military education")

Note:
(a) The quotation says that no US military personnel are in Ukraine, to provide training or more.
(b) At the bottom of this news release is
Pentagon Press Secretary John F Kirby Holds a Press Briefing. DOD, Apr 6, 2022 (transcript)
https://www.defense.gov/News/Tra ... s-a-press-briefing/
("Q: John, you're confirming that the 600 version has been authorized and is either on route or soon will be route?
MR KIRBY: No, I have not. What I've said is I'm not going to talk about the specific variant of it. It is -- but if you're asking me, can I rule out that the 600 version, the heavier warhead version will not be used or won't be sent? No, I'm not going to rule that out")

(2)
(a)  Hearing: Fiscal Year 2023 Defense Budget Request. House Armed Services Committee, Apr 5, 2022, starting 9:30am ET
https://armedservices.house.gov/ ... 5-8BB7-CFEA21CF021F
("Witnesses:

The Honorable Lloyd J Austin III
Secretary of Defense
Department of Defense

General Mark A Milley
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Department of Defense")
(b) Jim Garamone, Austin: Budget Funds Military to Accomplish Today's, Tomorrow's Mission. DOD, Apr 5, 2022
https://www.defense.gov/News/New ... tomorrows-missions/

This is a news release (which is sterileL Switchblades are mentioned in (1)(b), but not in this Apr 5 press release), not a transcript. Because the testimonies were goiven openly, what they said can not be secrets. As of today, however, there is no transcript available online.

(3) The Arlington, Virginia-based AeroVironment
https://www.avinc.com/tms/switchblade
hasmin the home page's top horizontal bar, "Our Solutions" whose pull-down menu includes  

"TACTICAL MISSILE SYSTEMS
Switchblade® 600
Switchblade® 300."

The website says little about them, is not informative.

Both are one-use, tube-launched kamikaze drones. It is believed that Switchblade 300 has been shipped to Ukraine, so the news is Switchblade 600 is moving there, too. Compared to Javelin missile (range: about 2.5 miles), Switchblade 600 (range: 50 miles in 40 minutes with 50 lb munition: Wikipedia) is much lighter.

"The 300 is designed for pinpoint strikes on personnel [and light vehicles such as automobiles], and the larger 600 is meant to destroy tanks and other armored vehicles." from the Web.