Joe Biden is considering sending US-made kamikaze ‘Switchblade’ drones to Ukraine as part of a $1 billion defence package to respond to President Volodymyr Zelensky’s calls for assistance.
The ‘kamikaze’ weapons, which are effectively remote-controlled bombs and are small, lightweight, and relatively cheap, come in two varieties tailored to knock out tanks or artillery positions.
They are thought to be the same missiles that killed Iranian military leader Qasem Soleimani in 2020 during Donald Trump’s presidency.
They were designed by AeroVironment of Washington, DC, and would be part of a massive military aid package approved by Joe Biden for Ukraine, which the president is due to discuss on Wednesday.
Zelensky will also address the US Congress on Wednesday at 9 a.m. ET, with the Switchblades presumably being supplied to appease the embattled leader, since both Democrats and Republicans oppose his calls for a no-fly zone, fearing a confrontation with Russia.
The Switchblade 600, the most powerful of the two Switchblades, weighs 50 pounds and can hover over a target for 40 minutes before swooping down at 115 miles per hour, piercing armour and destroying a tank.
The Switchblade 300 is a lighter version of the Switchblade that is designed to kill persons in the open and passengers in vehicles.
It only weighs 5.5 pounds but can travel six miles, hover for 15 minutes, and then dive down at 100 mph to a target.
Both Switchblades are designed to be lightweight and portable, fitting into a knapsack and firing from a tube that can be set up in about 10 minutes. They were chosen for their convenience of use and the fact that potential operators just need a little training before using them.
They’re also meant to be cost-effective; a Switchblade 300 costs $6,000 compared to a $150,000-per-shot Hellfire missile fired from a traditional Predator or Reaper drone.
The Switchblade also has the advantage of being able to cancel a strike seconds before the target is hit, unlike a Hellfire drone, according to AeroVironment. Hellfires have been known to strike targets that were afterwards discovered to be innocent bystanders.
NBC News was the first to report on the notion of deploying Switchblades to Ukraine.
The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, will address the US Congress on Wednesday, after receiving a rapturous reception when he was streamed live into the British and Canadian parliaments.
Zelensky, 44, is anticipated to make another request to the United States to impose a No-Fly Zone, despite the fact that the United States is unlikely to do so.
According to Joe Biden and his advisers, doing so, as well as flying US planes over Ukraine to execute the plan, would draw the US and its NATO partners into a confrontation with Russia.
Zelensky is also expected to discuss what else he would want to see from the US.
Joe Biden is set to propose a new military assistance package worth $1.01 billion to Ukraine’s government.
Anti-armor and anti-air equipment, including portable air defences like Javelins and Stingers, are expected to be included in the funding.
It would come from the $13.6 billion set aside for Ukraine in the omnibus budget plan signed by Vice President Joe Biden on Tuesday.
The United States is still working on providing the most recent batch of aid to Ukraine, which amounts to around $350 million in armaments.
Before Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, the United States had provided $2.5 billion in military aid since 2014.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the White House is considering sending more troops to Europe to supplement the roughly 15,000 troops already stationed there since the Russia-Ukraine crisis began.
However, according to US officials, Joe Biden, who has repeatedly denied deploying US soldiers to Ukraine, is not anticipated to deploy more troops at this time.
‘We’re moving urgently to further augment the support to the brave people of Ukraine as they defend their country,’ Joe Biden said on Tuesday.
‘And I’ll have much more to say about this tomorrow about exactly what we’re doing in Ukraine.’
Senators and members of the House of Representatives from both parties have urged the administration to deploy as much military aid to Ukraine as possible, and Zelensky is anticipated to make a similar demand in his virtual speech to Congress on Wednesday.
On Tuesday night, a group of Republicans wrote to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, urging the White House to spend the $3 billion in emergency military help that Congress had approved ‘without delay.’
‘As the invasion drags on, Russia will reorganize, resupply, consolidate its forces, and modify its tactics in an attempt to violently accelerate its advances,’ they wrote.
‘Ukrainian forces will likely have to expend munitions from these and other weapons at an increasing rate — meaning the need for restocking will only grow more urgent with each passing day.’
According to The New York Times, Zelensky has a ‘wish list’ of materials he wants from the United States.
Zelensky is claimed to seek armed drones and communication jamming equipment in addition to more Javelins and Stingers, which have already been sent in considerable numbers.
Last week, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby stated that the US was committed to providing Ukraine with military hardware. ‘the kinds of capabilities that we know the Ukrainians need and are using very well.’
He added that the US was also assisting other NATO countries in coordinating requests.
‘Some of that material we have and are providing. Some of that material we don’t have but we know others have, and we’re helping coordinate that, as well,’ he said.
Officials in the United States are thought to be eager to focus on weaponry that can make an impact immediately rather than the complex problem of fighter jets.
The Pentagon has ruled out such a deal, insisting that it would put NATO at risk of becoming a Russian target. Poland had proposed giving its fighter jets to the US to hand over to Ukraine, with the US replacing the Polish ones, but the Pentagon has ruled out such a deal, insisting that it would put NATO at risk of becoming a Russian target.
Instead, Ukraine is anticipated to request larger mobile air-defence systems capable of intercepting aircraft flying at greater altitudes than Stingers can.
On Sunday, Russian warplanes launched a missile attack on a Ukrainian military training complex, killing more than 35 people.
Amid ongoing fears of an amphibious attack on the coastal city of Odessa, the Ukrainians are likewise looking for long-range anti-ship missiles.
They’re also looking for better satellite navigation technology, tactical military radios, communications jamming gear, and other electronic warfare gear.
The administration has traditionally avoided supplying weaponry with sensitive electronics because it could fall into the hands of Russian troops or be unsuitable when Ukrainian forces require equipment that can be quickly deployed with minimal training.
Drone controllers are also needed by the Ukrainians.
In December, Wahid Nawabi, the Afghan-born CEO of AeroVironment, told NBC News that the Switchblade drones had the potential to change conflict.
The United States has already used them in Afghanistan, but Britain is the only other country that has them.
‘It allows our warfighter to have a battlefield superiority, which our enemies can’t see, can’t hear, can’t tell it’s coming, and really precisely achieve a specific mission effect,’ said Nawabi.
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