Ukraine uses US switchblade UAV to attack Russian Buk-M1 air defense system

Close-up of Ukraine using US switchblade UAV to attack Russian Buk-M1 air defense system

Friday, June 14, 2024 20:16 PM (GMT+7)

The Ukrainian army deployed the US-aided Switchblade suicide UAV to attack the launcher of the Russian Buk-M1 air defense system in eastern Ukraine.

Video posted on June 11 shows a reconnaissance UAV of the Ukrainian Special Forces (SSO) detecting a Russian military convoy, led by a launcher of the Buk-M1 air defense system, in the village of Sarabash in the eastern province of Donetsk.

The convoy stopped next to a row of houses, then the Buk-M1 launcher moved onto a specialized truck for mobility instead of self-propelling. At this time, Ukrainian special forces deployed the US-made Switchblade suicide UAV to approach the truck carrying the Buk-M1 launcher.

The Switchblade suicide UAV swerved and then crashed into a truck carrying a Buk-M1 launcher, creating a huge explosion.

The launcher of the Buk-M1 complex was on a truck that caught fire fiercely after the attack.

The SSO said the launcher vehicle of the Russian Buk-M1 complex was completely destroyed after being attacked by the Switchblade 600 UAV.

The Switchblade 600 UAV is a product of AeroVironment Company in California, USA.

This type of weapon began to be deployed to some US forces since 2011. This UAV line is designed to be quite flexible as it can be miniaturized to fit in a launcher that can be placed neatly in a backpack, when deployed, just a simple press of a button is all it takes to launch it.

The name Switchblade comes from the way the spring-loaded blades fold inside the launcher and deploy when performing a mission.

Being able to fold and place in a tube is quite simple but extremely effective because it provides high mobility.

The nose of this suicide UAV is equipped with a digital camera, which accurately identifies targets and transmits data directly to the command center, so it can also take on the role of battlefield reconnaissance.

The most unique feature of the Switchblade 600 suicide UAV is that it has a range of up to 80 km and carries a 3 kg armor-piercing warhead.

When encountering a target, they will perform a precise dive attack on the roof of the tank or armored vehicle at a speed of 185 km/h, similar to the way the Javelin anti-tank missile works.

If no target is found to attack, the Switchblade 600 UAV will patrol the airspace in standby mode for up to 40 minutes.

The Switchblade 600 suicide UAV costs only $6,000, much cheaper than a Javelin anti-tank missile which costs nearly $100,000, while its combat effectiveness is very impressive.

The Switchblade 600 suicide UAV can be deployed in just a few minutes, and when maneuvering, it flies even faster than Türkiye's Bayraktar TB2 reconnaissance-attack UAV.

On the other hand, the Switchblade 600 suicide UAV, due to its very small size, can easily bypass enemy air defense radar systems.

The Switchblade 600 suicide UAV is the weapon that makes enemy armored forces extremely worried.

Reporter (according to Reuters, Military Today)

Source: https://danviet.vn/ukraine-dung-uav-dao-bam-my-tap-kich-to-hop-phong-khong-buk-m1-nga-20240614201157278.htm