INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana National Guard Soldiers with the 76th Mobile Brigade Combat Team recently fielded one of the Army's newest weapons systems at Camp Atterbury.
The Hoosier Soldiers launched, flew and tested the Switchblade 600, a portable, unmanned and loitering munition during their weeklong training in May.
“It's awesome. I'm excited to see further technology and see where it goes,” said 1st Lt. Grant Korte, a scout platoon leader with the 76th. “It's important to understand the capabilities of these new assets we're receiving."
Korte said the Switchblade 600 makes his unit and his Soldiers more accurate and increases their lethality.
Variations of the Switchblade have existed since the early 2010s, yet the 600 variant can fly further and longer, about 25 miles and 40 minutes, and the Soldiers enjoyed fielding their new equipment.
“I have the opportunity to come out here and try the cutting-edge of battlefield [technology] and be the first to field this kind of weaponry; it's just kinda surreal,” said Spc. Perrin Gates, a 76th Brigade infantryman. “It's an otherworldly feeling. When I joined the Army, I thought I would be only shooting an M-4 doing regular infantry.”
Gates also lauded the benefits of the 600's capabilities.
“Number one, being able to keep our Soldiers a lot safer and to effectively eliminate targets,” Perrin said. “Our big antenna goes out to 40 kilos [kilometers], and we're back here being able to see everything. We can scope it out while also being able to take out a target without having any surprises that's going to harm the Soldiers that are involved.”
Using antennas, computers and controllers, the Soldiers can see everything the Switchblade sees.
Along with Infantry Squad Vehicles, assorted unmanned aerial systems and electronic warfare equipment, the 76th Mobile Brigade Combat Team is at the cutting edge of the Army's arsenal.
“The tide's turning, it's a whole new shift, and I'm excited to see where it goes,” Perrin said.