Marines will soon be even more deadly - and safer - with their new extremely lethal Switchblades. When you think of a switchblade, you think of a smallish knife that fits in a pocket, right? Marines will soon have in their hands entirely different breed of Switchblades – these are smart, flying little drones loaded with devastating miniature missiles. Tiny, fast and very quiet, they are extremely difficult for adversaries to detect or track. Even if an adversary does spot the drone, it doesn't matter.

The US Navy has revealed plans for a radical new smart'mini missile' that can be fired from warships to take out swarms of enemy drones and boats. Known as the Multi Azimuth Defense Fast Intercept Round Engagement System (MAD-FIRES) program, it will develop a'medium-caliber guided projectile'. DARPA says this will'combine the guidance, precision, and accuracy of missiles with the speed, rapid-fire capability, and large ammunition capacity of medium-caliber bullets like 20-to-40-caliber ammunition designed to destroy lightly armored vehicles, aircraft, and personnel.' Navy bosses say they need the new mini missile to deal with the increasing risk of'swarm' attacks, and hope with fit it to warships such at the USS Enterprise (pictured) The MAD FIRES will be enhanced ammunition rounds able to alter their flight path in real time to stay on target. They will be able to continuously target, track and engage multiple fast-approaching targets simultaneously and re-engage any targets that survive initial engagement.