The U.S. Army is pressing forward with its Low Altitude Stalking and Strike Ordnance (LASSO) program, fielding the Switchblade 600 drone at a cost of $170,000 per unit. The system is designed to offer infantry units precision strike capability against armored targets. However, this comes as Ukraine and Russia deploy thousands of low-cost, first-person view (FPV) drones priced as low as $300 to $500.

According to recently released Pentagon budget documents, the Army will acquire 294 Switchblade 600 drones and 54 control units priced at $69,204 each. The contrast in pricing has sparked debate over whether the U.S. military is moving too slowly to embrace scalable drone warfare.

Ukraine’s FPVs Set New Standard In Asymmetric Warfare

Inspired by Ukraine’s battlefield success with cheap FPV drones, the U.S. Army initiated LASSO in 2023 as a rapid procurement effort. The Switchblade 600 includes thermal imaging, precision guidance, and tube launch capability—features largely absent in cheaper FPVs but resulting in significantly higher costs.

Meanwhile, Ukraine now produces over 200,000 FPVs per month. These have become a core part of the war effort, accounting for an estimated 60–70% of Russian casualties, according to a RUSI report. In contrast, U.S. production remains limited, with FPV units still under boutique-level procurement.

New Budget Hints At FPV Expansion

Despite the high cost of LASSO, the Army has also allocated funds to a parallel initiative for “Purpose Built Attritable Systems” (PBAS), featuring goggles, controllers, and expendable drones. Each PBAS kit, containing six drones, is priced at around $34,826, with individual drones estimated at $5,000.

Companies like Neros, which have already supplied thousands of FPVs to Ukraine, are now positioning themselves as scalable suppliers to the Pentagon. Neros’ CEO says the company aims to produce up to 10,000 drones monthly by early 2026.

In a further sign of strategic recalibration, the Army issued a new solicitation this week seeking thousands of FPV drones priced below $2,000 each.