PERCH plug-and-play launcher for MBTs and AFVs to launch the Switchblade series of loitering munitions completed its firing test onboard an M1 Abrams MBT.
General Dynamics Land Systems announced the test, which was conducted during the Machine-Assisted Rugged Sapper event held by the US Army.
In the test, a simulated obstacle breach was completed with the aid of BLOS observation and over-the-horizon targeting of targets provided by a Switchblade 300 and a Switchblade 600 launched from an M1 Abrams MBT through PERCH.
PERCH, as a plug-and-play launcher intended for MBTs and other armoured vehicles like the Stryker, was developed to be compatible with available spaces and existing mounting points. In M1 Abrams’ case, this space is the sponson section for the loader box. Two Switchblade 300 and one Switchblade 600 loitering munitions produced by AeroVironment are carried per module.
The launcher is currently controlled by a separate panel, but is planned to be integrated into the onboard panels of the vehicles at a later stage.
UAVs/Loitering Munitions on MBTs as a Part of Evolution?
One common feature among the “future MBT” designs has been the integration of UAVs on turrets through embedded canister-launcher modules.
A tube-launched UAV, in theory, elevates an MBT in two ways: situational awareness and NLOS engagement.
UAVs with onboard electro-optics, mostly gimbal types which can keep the focus on a specific target, can spot/mark targets for MBTs and even supporting assets like artillery or close air support. The UAVs would not only increase sensing range and ignore line-of-sight constraints but also keep the MBT away from danger.
On the other hand, the longer range compared to shells, which reach a few kilometres at best, and a flexible flight pattern present an opportunity for NLOS engagements also from a safe position. For example, Switchblade 600, which can carry a shaped charge warhead, can reach a range of 40 km, almost ten times longer than the effective range for the 120 mm smoothbore gun.
Author: Kaan Azman
Editor: Özgür Ekşi
