Loitering munitions blur the legal line between drone and missile, creating ROE confusion in the field

A loitering munition like Switchblade or Lancet takes off like a drone, loiters like a surveillance platform, then dives like a missile. Different rules of engagement govern each phase -- ISR has one approval chain, kinetic strike has another, and the transition from observation to attack happens in seconds. Operators trained on drone ROE may not have strike authority, and operators with strike authority may not have surveillance training. This persists because existing weapons classification frameworks separate 'unmanned aircraft' from 'guided munitions' as distinct legal categories, and no doctrine framework covers a weapon that transitions between categories mid-mission.