US to buy Switchblade kamikaze drones for Ukraine

The US Department of Defense has awarded a $17.8 million contract to manufacture and ship Switchblade drones to Ukraine as part of defense assistance.

It is reported by RBC-Ukraine with reference to CNN.

The deal was closed in early May, US Department of Defense Deputy Secretary for Acquisition and Support Dr. William LaPlante said at a briefing.

These drones will be purchased from manufacturers and delivered to Ukraine as part of funding for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, approved in additional financial assistance to our country, which was passed along with a major spending bill in the US Congress in mid-March.

LaPlante noted that USAI's total funding for this bill was $300 million, and the Pentagon has allocated $136.8 million of that amount so far.

In total, unmanned aerial systems, Puma, an advanced precision weapons system, communications devices, combat medical equipment and supplies, and binoculars were bought and will be shipped for this amount under eight different contracts, LaPlante said.

He added that the Pentagon is also using the $1.45 billion in funding approved by the US Congress in addition to the aid to Ukraine signed in mid-March to replace US stockpiles of Javelins and Stingers, as well as key components for these weapons.

Recall that on May 6, on Infantry Day, the Ukrainian military for the first time showed a video of the operation of the Switchblade strike drone.