12.2.2020

AeroVironment sees first foreign sale of Switchblade

AeroVironment sees first foreign sale of Switchblade loitering munition this year – link

Source: Flight Global

AeroVironment hopes to clinch its first export order for the Switchblade loitering munition in 2020 following a change in attitude from the US authorities
Gerard Robottom, senior director for unmanned air systems international business development at AeroVironment, says the first international sale of the weapon – which it is displaying at the Singapore air show – should come in the next six to nine months
Robottom declines name prospective NATO customers, but notes that close allies of the USA in the Asia-Pacific could be future clients

The key takeaway is Aerovironment’s efforts to export its loitering munition capabilities outside the US
It has been unable to sell its exploding drone outside the US due to a lack of an export license from the US government. That has allowed competitors, notably Israeli companies like Elbit Systems, Israel Aerospace Industries, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and UVision, to fill the void especially with larger systems in their portfolio with other mission capabilities
Aerovironment has an impressive market share of foreign customers operating the Wasp, Raven & Puma AE systems, thus adding the loitering munition to an already existing Aerovironment infrastructure, in addition to the advantage of FMS / FMF, will be very tempting for many of their already existing clients
See “Aerovironment develops a larger loitering munition”