The Hellenic Parliament’s special committee for Foreign Affairs and Defence recently approved the acquisition of 590 Switchblade loitering munitions (300 and 600 models) from the U.S. company AeroVironment. Valued at €75.2 million, the deal is secured at a fraction of the cost, with Greece contributing €25 million and the remaining covered through U.S. Foreign Military Financing under the Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement.

The package includes:

Switchblade 300: Lightweight, portable drones with a 10-kilometer range, ideal for personnel and light vehicles.
The Switchblade 300 Block 20 is the next-generation successor to the Switchblade 300. Building on the Switchblade’s battle-proven performance, the Switchblade Block 20 offers enhanced operational features including a high-resolution EO/IR panning camera suite, longer endurance, and a new touchscreen Fire Control Unit (FCU) allowing the operator to train, plan and execute missions with ease. Weighing just 4 pounds, this lightweight, miniature, precision-guided lethal missile can be deployed in less than 2 minutes via tube-launch from land, sea, or mobile platforms providing greater mission flexibility. Delivering 20-plus minutes of tactical reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition (RSTA), the Switchblade 300 Block 20 provides real-time video for use against beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) targets and its open architecture system allows it to interface with external C2 systems. Cursor-on-target GPS coordinates provide situational awareness, information collection, targeting and feature/object recognition, that together deliver the actionable intelligence and precision firepower needed to achieve mission success across multiple domains.
Switchblade 600: Advanced drones with a 40-kilometer range, designed to neutralize armored vehicles, tanks, and fortified targets.
Switchblade 600 represents the next generation of extended-range loitering munitions, delivering unprecedented RSTA support and featuring high-precision optics, over 40 minutes of loitering endurance, and an anti-armor warhead for engaging larger, hardened targets at greater distances.
As an all-in-one, man-portable solution, Switchblade 600 includes everything required to successfully plan and execute missions and can be set up and operational in less than 10 minutes. Equipped with class-leading, high-resolution EO/IR gimbaled sensors and advanced precision flight control, Switchblade 600 empowers the warfighter with quick and easy deployment via tube-launch, and the capability to fly, track and engage non-line-of-sight targets and armored vehicles with precision lethal effects without the need for external ISR or fires assets.
Patented wave-off and recommit capability allows operators to abort the mission at any time and then re-engage either the same or other targets multiple times based on operator command. Whether it’s from fixed defensive positions, combat vehicles with integrated organic precision fire, or air-launched applications, Switchblade 600 provides field commanders with a multi-mission loitering munition system capable of multi-domain operations.
Additional provisions encompass training simulators, handling modules, and support programs. These kamikaze drones, tested in global conflicts such as Ukraine, will bolster Greece’s ground and special operations units. They complement Greece’s recent defense acquisitions, reinforcing its preparedness against regional threats.
This move highlights Greece’s commitment to leveraging advanced military technology for national security and operational readiness.