What are Switchblade drones, and how do they work?

This story was first published on March 22, 2022. It has been updated since that time.

American soldiers fighting in Afghanistan in the 2000s and early 2010s had a problem. The country’s terrain, with steep mountains, sharp hills, and deep valleys, made it easy for their enemies to hide, especially given their adversary’s local knowledge of the terrain. US airplanes and helicopters had uncontested control of the skies, but by the time a patrol was ambushed, had called for air support, and then the support arrived, the fight might be over. The Switchblade drone, originally…