Military Drones Can Now Send Target Coordinates Directly to Kamikaze Stalker Missiles

Mind you, this will not be about a modern army going up against some terrorist group spread out in caves, but about a very high-tech military organization going at the throat of another, perhaps equally as gifted.

We, the civilians that we are, do not have access to exactly what kind of weaponry is being deployed for the expected conflict. But we can get a taste of what to expect in announcements coming from elsewhere.

A defense contractor called AeroVironment is behind the largest drone fleet deployed by the American military. 20,000 of its machines are fielded by various branches, and an unknown number of others spread among around 50 of America's allies.

The drones in question wear imposing names like Puma, Raven or Wasp, and in themselves are incredible tools. But they’re about to get even deadlier, now that they can be fitted with hardware that will allow them to talk directly with loitering missile systems.

This week, AeroVironment announced the introduction of the so-called Sensor to Shooter Kit. That would be a tool that allows said drones to directly relay real-time video, flight telemetry data, and target coordinates to the Switchblade 300 missile system.

Now, the Switchblade is no regular such weapon. This one is a suicidal stalker, if you will, as in it is launched, finds its target, and, before impacting, can wait in the air until the coast is clear.

The new system allows the Switchblade to head to the target on its own, while sending video back to its operators. The Sensor to Shooter Kit allows the operators to see video from both the loitering missile and the surveillance drone at the same time and can decide on the best moment to strike or to wave the attack off.

The video below shows how all of this is supposed to work.