General Atomics (GA-ASI) and AeroVironment successfully conducted the first air launch of the Switchblade 600 loitering munition from an MQ-9A Reaper during tests held between July 22 and 24, 2025, at the U.S. Army Yuma Proving Grounds.
During the flight, the MQ-9A carried two Switchblade 600 munitions, one inert and one with an explosive warhead, and transferred control of the weapons to operators on the ground near the target area, demonstrating integration and cooperation between unmanned systems.
The Switchblade 600, long-range and equipped with an anti-armor warhead, allows for surveillance and precision strikes with over 40 minutes of endurance. Launched from high altitudes, the munition can reach ranges exceeding 175 km, allowing the Reaper to strike from a safe distance outside enemy defenses. The system also offers a “wave-off and recommit” function, enabling targets to be aborted and re-engaged in real time, increasing operational flexibility in dynamic scenarios.
The test is part of the Air-Launched Effects (ALE) program, which transforms larger unmanned aircraft into “mother ships” for smaller systems, expanding sensing, strike, and electronic warfare capabilities in contested environments.
Integrating the Switchblade 600 with the MQ-9A enhances the platform’s versatility, enabling long-range, distributed operations, and points to future applications of Group 5 drones as central nodes in multi-domain combat networks.
Source: The Aviationist | Photo: X @CUAS_NEWS | This content was created with AI assistance and reviewed by the editorial team
GA-ASI recently collaborated with @aerovironment on the air launch of their Switchblade 600 loitering munition from the company’s MQ-9A Block 5 #UAS, marking the first time an SB600 has launched from an unmanned aircraft.
Read the news: https://t.co/Np71aV96Dx#MQ9A pic.twitter.com/7eZxj036nI
— General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc (GA-ASI) (@GenAtomics_ASI) September 10, 2025
