AeroVironment [AVAV] on Thursday confirmed its providing the upgraded Block 20 version of its Switchblade 300 loitering munition for the Marine Corps’ Organic Precision Fires-Light (OPF-L) program.
The company has described the Block 20 as the “next generation successor” for the Switchblade 300, noting it boasts “armor penetrating capability through an Explosively Formed Penetrator warhead, increased target attack angle and significantly greater battery life, flight endurance, and radio link range.”
“Switchblade 300 Block 20 is the next generation of the system that capitalizes on over a decade of user assessments, combat deployments and lessons learned from the conflict in Ukraine, including operating in contested environments,” AeroVironment said in a statement.
Along with AeroVironment, the Marine Corps also selected Anduril Industries and Teledyne FLIR Defense [TDY] for the OPF-L program to provide lightweight loitering munitions for infantry squads (Defense Daily, April 15).
Teledyne FLIR has said the company’s solution for OPF-L is its first loitering munition capability and that the system has a quadcopter design, with more specific details to be offered soon.
Anduril has declined to offer specifics on its capability for OPF-L, while also signaling that it will provide additional details in the near future.
The Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract for OPF-L, which could total up to $249 million, begins with a five-year base period followed by a three-year option period.
The Navy on Monday evening said that Teledyne’s initial award is worth $12.1 million, AeroVironment’s $8.9 million, and Anduril’s $6.5 million. The service said eight bids were submitted.
Morgan Blackstone, a spokesperson for Marine Corps Systems Command, confirmed to Defense Daily that each vendor will provide 127 loitering munitions under their initial delivery orders and that the Marine Corps anticipates fielding with OPF-L to begin in fiscal year 2027.
“There is no downselect planned for OPF-L. All three vendor systems may be fielded if they successfully complete performance testing and meet certification requirements,” Blackstone said.