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Published 23:47 IST, September 21st 2022

US signs $2.2 million contract, orders Switchblade 600 kamikaze drones for Ukraine

A document published by the Pentagon has announced $2.2 million contract for Switchblade 600 kamikaze drones to be delivered to Ukraine under USAI and the PDA.

Reported by: Yuvraj Tyagi
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Image: Twitter/@AeroVironment/AP | Image: self

The Pentagon has signed a $2.2 million contract for Switchblade 600 kamikaze drones to be delivered to Ukraine amid the country’s ongoing war with Russia. Pentagon has signed the contract with a Virginia-based company, AeroVironment.  

The revelation came on September 20, after the US Department of Defense released a document on its website listing the types of weapons that the Ukrainian Armed Forces will soon be receiving. According to the announcement on the website, the purchase contract was concluded on September 15.  

With a flight range of 40 kilometres, the Switchblade 600 can stay in the air for up to 40 minutes and carries a powerful warhead similar to the Javelin anti-tank missile. This enables the loitering drone to destroy heavily armoured vehicles, including tanks.  

US is the top supplier of military aid to Ukraine  

Since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and Russia’s subsequent announcement of a special military operation in Ukraine’s territory, Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy has received military aid and support in terms of arms, equipment and ammunition from various nations. However, the bulk of the military aid received by Ukraine came from the United States. The Pentagon’s Press Secretary Air Force Brigadier General Pat Ryder in a press briefing claimed that the security assistance given to Ukraine totals $15.1 billion.  

According to the newly released document, Pentagon states that the deliveries being made come under US' security assistance to Ukraine through two main authorities- Ukraine Security Assistance (USAI) and Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA).  

Under the USAI, the US Department of Defense procures defence articles directly from the industry to support Ukraine. On the other hand, PDA allows the Department to deliver equipment to Ukraine by drawing down from DoD stocks.  

Other equipment on the way to Ukraine  

Apart from the Switchblade 600, the Pentagon document lists National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS), 155MM ammunition, Advanced Precision Kill Weapons Systems (APKWS), Switchblade 300, Phoenix Ghost, PUMA UAS, Tactical vehicles, Optics and Non-standard ammunition to be delivered to Ukraine under the security assistance amid Russia-Ukraine war as part of the USAI and the PDA. The contracts have been signed with various companies that include BAE Systems, Raytheon, AeroVironment and Lockheed. The total spending revealed by the document is more than $1.5 Billion.

Updated 23:47 IST, September 21st 2022