The agreement was signed during the International Defense Industries Forum in Kyiv, according to Militarnyi.
For security reasons, the name of the Ukrainian partner company remains undisclosed.
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Brett Hush, Senior Vice President and General Manager of AeroVironment’s Barrage Strike Systems Division, stated that the collaboration will progress in phases. Initially, the partnership will focus on shipping subsystem components for integration. Over time, more systems will be localized, and the complex will undergo improvements to enhance its capabilities.
The agreement between AeroVironment and the Ukrainian company requires approval from the U.S. government, with both countries working on this process, which is expected to take around 9 months.
The exact volume of future production remains undisclosed, but Brett Hush mentioned that it should reach several thousand Switchblade 600 units annually.
He highlighted that the Ukrainian military is using the Switchblade 600 loitering munition differently than originally intended. Initially, this weapon was developed for U.S. Special Forces to target moving threats in irregular warfare scenarios.
In Ukraine, these munitions are being employed to strike high-value targets like the Pantsir missile system or S-300 air defense systems, each valued at $20-25 million.
“There are impressive videos available in open sources. While this system features the same anti-tank missile as the Javelin, in Ukraine, it’s not being used against tanks. The russians can replace tanks regularly, but their expensive air defense systems are much harder to replace, as they have a limited number of skilled technicians to service the electronics,” said Brett Hush.
Brett Hush also mentioned that AeroVironment is working on simplifying the operation of the Switchblade. He acknowledged that different units have varying feedback on its effectiveness, but believes results can be improved with better training conducted directly in Ukraine.
“Currently, due to U.S. policy, training is conducted outside of Ukraine. Operators must travel to Poland or other locations abroad for instruction. We are lobbying our government to allow instructors to come to Ukraine. I have a few people there now, but they can only listen and gather feedback, not teach. Simplifying the process would make a big difference,” said Brett Hush.
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