Greece Approves Procurement of "Kamikaze" Drones

Greece's Government Council for Foreign Affairs and Defense (KYSEA) has approved the acquisition of American-made Switchblade 300 and Switchblade 600 drones, commonly called "kamikaze" drones.

These modern loitering munitions will be purchased at a third of their original price, with financial assistance from Foreign Military Financing (FMF) programs, reducing Greece's outlay to €25 million from the total cost of €75.2 million.

The Switchblade drones are compact, armed with explosive warheads, and can be precisely guided by operators to targets over long distances. Their deployment will significantly enhance the capabilities of Greece's armed forces, offering tactical advantages in precision strikes and psychological impact on adversaries. The decision to acquire these drones stems from analyses of current threat landscapes and insights from global military operations.

The initial plans involve deploying these drones on the Aegean islands and in Evros, integrating with infantry and special operations units. In addition to land deployment, some systems will be mounted on vehicles and naval vessels, increasing operational flexibility.

The swift procurement and deployment of the drones are anticipated, with the armed forces poised to leverage their existing experience from joint exercises with U.S. forces to integrate these advanced systems effectively.

Used By Allies

Aerovironment’s Switchblade drones are deployed in Ukraine’s armed conflict against Russia and selected for the Pentagon’s Replicator Initiative. 

The Switchblade 600 model, weighing 65 pounds (29.5 kilograms), was designed to strike armoured vehicles and large targets beyond 40 kilometres (25 miles) away. 

It can loiter at 70 miles (113 kilometres) per hour and sprint at 115 miles (185 kilometres) per hour.

Meanwhile, the lightweight and miniature Switchblade 300 drone is used against personnel and light combat vehicles. Its Block 20 version has enhanced features, such as a high-resolution EO/IR panning camera suite and a longer endurance of over 20 minutes.

With a total weight of 7.2 pounds (3.27 kilograms), it can cruise at 63 miles (101 kilometres) per hour and dash at 100 miles (161 kilometres) per hour.