Humvee Saber fires Switchblade UAVs or stops kamikaze drones
WASHINGTON, US — AM General announced the promotion of the Humvee Saber vehicle outside the United States to find new customers for its solution. This decision is related to receiving an order from the company for the supply of JLTV multi-purpose machines for the US Army.
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The Humvee Saber Blade [formerly marketed as the NXT 360] is a multi-purpose vehicle based on the well-known HMMWV tactical vehicle, integrated with a wide range of systems such as the Switchblade 300/600 ammunition dispenser or the Air Guard Hornet Remote Controlled Combat Module.
It was demonstrated during AUSA 2022, where a copy was on display equipped with Switchblade munition launchers and a Hornet Air Guard remote-controlled weapon module with Hornet’s Counter-UAS solution. This allows the elimination of specified targets at a distance of up to 80 km using the Switchblade 600 or 10 in the case of using the Switchblade 300.
In addition, due to the ability to integrate remotely controlled Hornet systems into the vehicle, the crew can respond to various types of threats, starting from unmanned aerial vehicles through enemy infantry and ending with heavily armored vehicles such as tanks.
In the case of the Hornet Air Guard kit, the Humvee Saber Blade crew can detect and neutralize drones using the aforementioned combat module, which provides surveillance, target elimination, and self-defense thanks to the use of explosive munitions and the addition of an independent drone detection module. These capabilities are combined with the high mobility of the base vehicle and a decent level of protection for this type of vehicle.
Hornet Air Guard includes, among others: the Gonio RF system and radar, which are mounted on an independent Hornet smoke grenade launcher ring. Both systems continuously scan the area while the weapon module can still be used normally for observation or fire.
When an enemy UAV is detected, the operator is automatically alerted to the threat and can identify it using optics. The drone can then be neutralized with a 40mm automatic grenade launcher. This feature also allows you to eliminate UAV kamikaze / idle munitions before they reach the base vehicle.
Most importantly, the identification of the presence of enemy drones in the vicinity warns the crew of possible detection by the enemy and gives time for a quick evacuation from the danger zone, thanks to the high mobility of the vehicle. Such information is necessary for current operations, with the increasingly effective counter-fire of artillery, which, thanks to the use of unmanned aircraft, has significantly improved in terms of fire reaction speed and fire accuracy.
The decision to start advertising the Humvee Saber Blade from AM General was because this company received a contract for the supply of JLTV multi-purpose vehicles for the needs of the US Army.
The company wants to show the possibilities of cooperation with other defense companies in new markets to show the flexibility of the platforms it produces. It will probably manifest itself in the integration of various types of additional systems, for example, Humvee or JLTV, as well as remotely controlled combat modules or various types of unmanned aerial vehicles.
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