Switchblade Drone Maker in Direct Talks With Ukraine Over Sales

AeroVironment CEO wants Pentagon help with supply chain issues
Demand for drones has surged as Russian invasion drags on

A Switchblade 300 10C drone Photographer: Cpl. Alexis Moradian/U.S. Marine Corps

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By Anthony Capaccio

April 22, 2022 at 9:07 PM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

The maker of the Switchblade dive-bombing drone the U.S. is sending Ukraine to fight Russia is in direct talks with the government in Kyiv over the possibility of additional sales, but it wants Pentagon help overcoming supply chain problems, according to its chief executive officer.

“It’s been a very, very effective tool,” AeroVironment Inc. CEO Wahid Nawabi said in an interview Friday about the two types of drones being shipped to Ukraine. He added that the company is “actively pursuing more sales to the U.S. military” as well as Ukraine.