Kamikaze drones

About Kamikaze drones:

• These are small unmanned aircraft packed with explosives that can be flown directly at a tank or a group of troops that are destroyed when it hits the target and explodes.
• The name comes from the World War 2 era’s feared Japanese kamikaze pilots, who conducted suicide attacks by intentionally crashing their explosive filled aircraft into enemy targets.
• The modern drone versions have the capability of surpassing traditional defences to strike their targets and are also cheaper than their larger counterparts.
• The small lethal drones are difficult to detect on radar, and through the use of facial recognition, can be programmed to hit targets without human intervention.
• Although the US Kamikaze might be the most advanced in this class of drones, Russia, China, Israel, Iran and Turkey all have some versions of it.
• The US kamikaze drones are cheaper than most other drones made in the country, and come in two sizes.
  • Switchblade 300 suicide drone: It weighs about five pounds (2.26 kilograms), can fly for up to 15 minutes at a time, and is designed to be carried in a backpack.
  • Switchblade 600: It weighs about 50 pounds, can fly for up to 40 minutes, and is known as a “loitering missile” that can hover around an area for some time and target armoured vehicles.

Source : Indian Express