GDLS to hand Army four PERCH 2.0 prototypes this month
General Dynamics Land Systems expects to deliver four PERCH 2.0 prototypes to the Army's 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division by the end of October. The system mounts on Abrams tanks and Stryker vehicles and carries AeroVironment Switchblade loitering munitions for long-range surveillance. After Army feedback, the company refined the design and the service bought three prototypes through an Abrams support contract.
General Dynamics Land Systems plans to send four PERCH 2.0 units to the 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood by late October. Soldiers there will fit them onto Abrams tanks for trials. The kit also can be installed on Strykers and uses AeroVironment Switchblade munitions for long-range observation.
The Army asked for changes after seeing the first PERCH. GDLS then improved line-of-sight reach, reloading, storage, and hatch-closed firing, partly by moving from the SB600 to the SB300. The service bought three prototypes through an Abrams support contract updated in August.
The prototype effort could affect Army tank and Stryker crews by giving them more ways to observe and strike beyond direct sight, potentially changing training and maintenance demands. Defense contractors may see continued demand for modular loitering-munition kits. Taxpayers and communities near Fort Hood may notice shifts in procurement and testing activity, though broader societal effects remain uncertain and depend on how the Army evaluates the prototypes.