MQ-9A First to Launch Switchblade 600 Loitering Munition From Air, No Other Drone in Its Class Matches This Capability

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) and AeroVironment have achieved a world-first by launching a Switchblade 600 loitering munition from a Block 5 MQ-9A unmanned aircraft system (UAS). The flight demonstration, conducted between 22 and 24 July at the U.S. Army’s Yuma Proving Grounds, validated both the physical launch and the operational hand-off of the weapon to a forward operator.

During the test, two Switchblade 600s were released — one with an inert warhead and the other with a live high-explosive payload. Following launch, control of the loitering munition was transferred from the MQ-9A’s ground control station to a user closer to the battlespace. This ensured beyond-line-of-sight flexibility and real-time responsiveness.

GA-ASI President David R. Alexander highlighted the importance of the trial:
“By using the MQ-9A to carry the Switchblade, the MQ-9A can stand off farther from enemy weapons systems while increasing the range and reach of the SB600. This provides greater access and more options in contested airspace.”

A Unique Capability — No Peer in Its Class

The MQ-9A is currently the only long-endurance armed drone in operational service to have successfully demonstrated the air launch of a heavy loitering munition like the Switchblade 600. While several nations are developing drone-launched loitering effects, no other platform in the same category — large, medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) unmanned aircraft — has yet proven this integration.

• Turkish Bayraktar TB2 / Akinci: Widely exported and combat-proven, these drones are equipped to fire guided bombs and air-to-ground missiles. However, they have not yet demonstrated the capability to deploy or hand off larger loitering munitions from the air.

• Chinese Wing Loong II and CH-5: These MALE drones are armed with precision-guided bombs and missiles. While China has smaller tube-launched loitering munitions, integration of heavy air-launched loitering weapons onto their large drones has not been validated in public trials.

• Israeli Heron TP and Hermes 900: Israel has been a pioneer in loitering munition technology, but operational demonstrations of air-launch from these large drones remain undisclosed. Their loitering systems like Harop are launched from ground or truck-based platforms, not air-deployed from UAVs.

This leaves the MQ-9A as the first and only drone in its class to publicly prove such a capability.

Why This Matters

1. Extended Strike Reach – Pairing the MQ-9A’s endurance with Switchblade 600’s loitering ability creates a deep-strike option without bringing the drone itself into high-threat zones.

2. Survivability in Contested Airspace – The mothership-and-effect concept allows the MQ-9A to remain outside hostile air defense range while still delivering lethal effects.

3. Operational Flexibility – Control hand-off ensures that operators closest to the battlefield can guide the munition with precision.

4. Doctrinal Shift – This demonstration signals the evolution of large UAS from reconnaissance and strike platforms into launch hubs for a variety of loitering munitions and expendable airborne effects.

The July test has set a new benchmark: the MQ-9A is not only a combat-proven armed drone, but also the first unmanned mothership for heavy loitering munitions. For now, no other comparable MALE drone has matched this milestone — placing GA-ASI and AeroVironment at the forefront of integrating loitering weapons into aerial platforms.