Following the news that the US is providing Ukraine with loitering munitions;

William Davies, Associate Defense Analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers his view:

“Loitering munitions have seen minimal use so far in the Ukraine crisis, with the only example being Russia using the ZALA KYB for surveillance as well as for attacks on soft targets. The US, in its military aid package, has included a provision for 100 tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), which sources say are the AeroVironment switchblade.

“Loitering munitions are munitions that are capable of staying in the air while they search for a target, and some are capable of returning to base in the case of an unsuccessful target identification. While they operate in a similar way to Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs), their self-destructive capabilities are what set them apart.

“Ukraine has been using Turkish TB-2 UAVs, but so far has not employed loitering munitions. The provision of AeroVironment’s Switchblade loitering munition (either 300 or 600, the exact type is unknown) would provide them with increased offensive capabilities. The 600 is more likely as it would be of significant use for Ukraine against Russian armored vehicles due to its ability to penetrate armor, whilst the 300 is typically employed as an anti-personnel weapon. The 600 has the capability to fly up to 25 miles meaning they can be easily deployed from behind the frontlines, whilst the 300 has a limit of only 6.2 miles.

“Whichever model is delivered can be carried by a single solider making them easy to deploy. An advantage over larger Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) is that they are significantly cheaper and smaller, and due to their size traditional anti-air systems can struggle to detect and destroy them. Whilst 100 is a relatively low amount considering the single-use nature of the weapon, it can still have a significant effect against entrenched Russian positions and operate in a more contested airspace.

“Loitering munitions are attractive because of their relatively affordable price as well as effectiveness, and additionally they will provide Ukrainian forces with additional surveillance capabilities as well as strike capabilities. The focus of the Biden administration arms package is largely on anti-armor and anti-aircraft systems, and aside from the loitering munitions also include Stingers and Javelins whilst Slovakia is providing the S-300 air defense missile system.”