Australia Boosts Defense Arsenal With Switchblade 300 Drone Acquisition

The Australian Defence Army is set to welcome Switchblade 300, a lightweight, precision-guided loitering munition, from the US company AeroVironment.

On Monday, the Albanese government announced the addition of Switchable 300 in the Australian Defence Force's (ADF) arsenal. The U.S.-made drone, which can be accommodated into a backpack, had been Ukraine's key asset in countering Russian missile strikes during the ongoing atrocities.

Defence Minister Pat Conroy said the launch was part of a AU$10 billion defense deal to strengthen Australia's footing in the drone warfare ecosystem, ADM reports.

"It shows the Australian Government is getting on with the job of providing the ADF with state-of-the-art technologies it needs to meet the threats we face," said Conroy.

Weighing about 10 kg, the ammunition can be deployed in under 10 minutes and has a range of about 10 kilometers. The acquisition comes as ADF is aiming to bulk-produce low-cost systems intending to update its present fleet of over 760 unmanned aerial vehicles, which are mostly utilized for surveillance.

It was not revealed as to how many US drones Australia would buy; however, the Switchblade 300 is believed to be priced between AU$90,000 and AU$120,000.

The Switchblade 300 has already proven to be successful in several wars like those in Iraq, Afghanistan, and most recently, Ukraine, where it was crucial in the Ukrainian troops fending off Russian military activities.

Its incorporation into the ADF is anticipated to improve operational adaptability and response times, in line with the worldwide movement toward the use of cutting-edge drone technology in contemporary conflict.

Conroy refuted allegations of inadequate funding for this vital technology and highlighted that the government is aggressively improving the ADF's drone capabilities.

"With autonomous weapon systems increasingly prevalent, the Defence Strategic Review made clear that new technology and asymmetric advantage are important priorities," said Conroy, according to ABC.

"The Albanese Government, in fact, is investing more than AU$10 billion on drones, including at least AU$4.3 billion on uncrewed aerial systems," Mr Conroy said in a statement.