‘Switchblade‘ is state-of-the-art dive-bombing weapon

“The Switchblade” quietly hovers before dive-bombing and blowing up its target. The “kamikaze” drone, small enough to fit inside a soldier’s backpack, will soon be available for use by the U.S. Army, according to news reports.

The robotic craft weighs less than 2 kilograms and launches from a tube before its wings unfold as it flies into the air, AFP said.

The drones have a miniature electric motor and transmit live video, which helps soldiers identify the enemy, AFP reported.

The operators can then send a message to the drone “to arm it and lock its trajectory onto the target,” AeroVironment 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.

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.”

Larger Predator and Reaper drones are currently used by the U.S. to find suspected militants in Pakistan and other countries, AFP reported.

“Switchblade provides a revolutionary rapid strike capability to protect our troops and give them a valuable new advantage,” said a spokesman of AeroVironment.