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Switchblade Surveillance Missile

The Switchblade is a very unique combination of surveillance drone and missile; it can loiter for up to thirty minutes before taking out a single, targeted individual.

The weapons to be delivered under the Lethal Miniature Aerial Munition System (LMAMS), will offer the warfighter a portable, non-line-of-sight precision strike capability against individual stationary or moving individuals, ensuring high precision effect from covert positions...

The Air Force expects the new weapon to weigh around 3 lbs (1.36 kg). The user will also carry the integrated operating console and communications unit, weighing additional 3 pounds. The entire system could deploy and be ready to fire within 30 seconds. Once launched, the system should be capable to acquire a man-size target at the system’s combat range, in less than 20 seconds, flying at an altitude of 100 meter above ground. If conditions for attack are not met, the MAV will be able to loiter over the target for up to 30 minutes. For the terminal phase, the MAV is designed to hit target within 3.28 ft (1 meter) radius, at maximum speed of 80 – 100 mph (35-44m/sec).

The Switchblade is designed to provide the warfighter with a “magic bullet”.

At some point, we'll have smart bullets, five-inch fire-and-forget self-tracking bullet-missiles like in Michael Crichton's 1984 movie Runaway.


(Smart bullet dissected)

"Jack, look at this. The back half is all solid propellant. Valves for directional control ... look, it's all electronic."

"You've heard of a bullet that has your name on it. Well, this one really does. And you can program it to go after a specific person."

From RollinSD via

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