- New drones weigh less than 2kg and launch from tube
- Wings fold out as it flies into air and then dive bombs
- Operators can order drone to lock on to human target
It quietly hovers before dive-bombing and blowing up a human target.
This ‘kamikaze’ drone - small enough to fit inside a soldier’s backpack and dubbed the ‘Switchblade’ - will soon be available for use by the U.S. Army.
The impressive robotic craft weighs less than 2kg and launches from a tube before its wings fold out as it flies into the air, reported AFP.
Impressive craft: A soldier launches a 'kamikaze' drone and watches its live feed as it flies out of a tube. It will soon be available for use by the U.S. Army
The U.S. Army is paying manufacturer AeroVironment $4.9million for the drones to help it develop a new way of killing suspected militants.
The drones have a miniature electric motor and transmit live video from overhead, which helps soldiers identify the enemy, reported AFP.
The operators can then send a message to the drone ‘to arm it and lock its trajectory onto the target’, the company said in a press release.
The drone will fly into a target and detonate a small explosive - but it can still be disarmed at the last moment even if it is heading for a kill.
Drone: The impressive robotic craft weighs less than 2kg and launches from a tube before its wings fold out as it flies into the air
The California company said it is this feature that makes its drones unique and gives ‘a level of control not available in other weapon systems’.
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