General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) and AeroVironment have co-developed the Precision Effects & Reconnaissance, Canister-Housed (PERCH) system. To summarize, PERCH is a launcher for AeroVironment’s Switchblade 300 and Switchblade 600 loitering munitions designed for the M1A2 Abrams SEPv3 main battle tanks and Stryker infantry carrier vehicles. In Latin America, Argentina’s Army operates the Stryker, so Zona Militar spoke with Mark Hu, Manager, U.S. Business Development at GDLS, about why Buenos Aires should be interested in PERCH.
Hu explained that PERCH “provides the same tactical advantages to Stryker-equipped units as it does to Abrams tanks: extended-range and beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) surveillance and lethality capability.” Being able to launch a drone gives the crew aboard a tank or Stryker protection and surveillance capabilities on the battlefield. Moreover, the Switchblade 600 loitering munition deployed by PERCH also provides long-range anti-tank lethality for Stryker units.
“While the terrain in Argentina can vary vastly from region to region, unmanned aerial systems are an essential element of modern combat in all environments,” Hu told ZM.
PERCH is in development, and Hu explained that the system is at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6. The Switchblade 300 and 600 munitions deployed by PERCH are at TRL 9 in their ground-mounted configuration, Hu added. “We expect that PERCH will be ready for market in the next year or two,” the GDLS executive noted.
In a 5 December joint press release, the two companies noted a successful recent test for the US Army, namely the III Corps’ Machine Assisted Rugged Soldier (MARS) demo on 26-30 October in Texas. During the event, “users completed a complex obstacle breach with the aid of beyond-line-of-sight reconnaissance and over-the-horizon targeting of high-value targets,” the companies explained, “provided by a Switchblade 300 and a Switchblade 600 launched from an Abrams tank via PERCH.”
PERCH is very easy to install aboard an Abrams or Stryker as the system “does not require welding nor cutting for mounting.” According to GDLS, PERCH replaces the Abrams’ loader sponson box and “is bolted into place using existing attachment points.”
ZM asked Hu from GDLS what the companies’ objectives are for 2026. The executive explained that GDLS and AeroVironment “are in the process of developing a PERCH 2.0 that incorporates feedback received from the soldiers who operated PERCH from their tank.”
Hu is confident that the US armed forces will be interested in PERCH. “Unmanned aerial systems are an essential element of modern combat,” hence “PERCH provides an effective and affordable capability to deploy and operate UAS well forward on the battlefield while under armor.” The fact that integrating PERCH does not require extensive engineering or vehicle modifications is an important consideration, as this capability enables a quick setup.
Argentina has acquired a fleet of 8×8 Stryker armored vehicles for the Army from the United States. The first batch was presented in early December. The acquisition has been hailed as essential to modernizing the service’s fleet of armored vehicles. The Army also operates a fleet of uncrewed aerial systems and loitering munitions from different suppliers, including the HERO-30 and HERO-120 produced by UVision.
Acquiring PERCH system for Argentina’s Strykers would also require acquiring AeroVironment drones and loitering munitions. While acquiring both drones (or loitering munitions) and launchers would be costly for a service with a limited budget, PERCH would also be a useful complementary system that would expand the capabilities of the Army’s Stryker vehicles.
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