On Friday, December 13, 2024, the Greek newspaper Kathimerini reported that the Government Council for Foreign Affairs and Defense (KYZEA) approved a request from the Greek General Staff of the Armed Forces for the purchase of nearly 600 units of Switchblade loitering munitions, manufactured by the American company AeroVironment Inc. The contract is expected to be signed soon.
Switchblade 300 / Photo: USMC
The order is set to include 592 units of Switchblade 300 Block 20 and Switchblade 600 loitering munitions for the Hellenic Army (Ellinikós Stratós) and special operations units. The purchase is expected to cost 75.2 million USD, with 50.2 million USD coming from direct loan funds under the FMF (Foreign Military Funding) program. The package includes training simulators, operational modules, and support. The planned purchase was first reported by the newspaper Kathimerini on September 14 of this year.
Earlier, on September 26 of this year, AeroVironment Inc. received a contract worth over 54.8 million USD from the US Department of Defense for the production of Switchblade loitering munitions for three NATO member states: Lithuania, Romania, and Sweden.
Since 2021, Switchblade 300 loitering munitions have initially been used by units under the United States Special Operations Command (US SOCOM) and the US Marine Corps (USMC). Later, the expanded Switchblade 600 was developed under the Army Single Multi-Mission Attack program for the US Army. It was subsequently supplied to Ukraine as part of military aid. The United Kingdom became the first export user of the Switchblade 300 in 2019, followed by France. Recently, Taiwan and Australia have also received approval for purchase.
Switchblade 600
The Switchblade 600 has a range of over 40 km (which can be extended to more than 90 km) and a flight endurance of over 40 minutes. The system weighs 54.4 kg, of which 22.7 kg is the aerial vehicle, carrying a warhead based on the anti-tank guided missile FGM-148 Javelin. It is equipped with a 4-sensor electro-optical seeker and is controlled via a tablet. The cruise speed is 112 km/h, and the attack speed is 185 km/h. It can strike targets from above in top-attack mode.
Switchblade 600 / Photo: AeroVironment Inc.
Switchblade 300
This is a smaller variant of the Switchblade 600, implemented in two sub-versions: Block 10C and Block 20.
The first sub-version, Block 10C, is 610 mm long and weighs 2.7 kg. After launch, it can remain airborne for 10 minutes and operate at a maximum range of 10 km from the operator. Its maximum flight speed is 157 km/h. It is equipped with both day and infrared cameras, as well as a GPS locator. The carried warhead delivers the explosive equivalent of a 40 mm grenade detonation. Communication with the operator is facilitated by a Digital Data Link (DDL) module. A single Switchblade 300 can be launched by one soldier. A variant with an MPL (Multi-Pack Launcher) weighing 73 kg has been developed, containing six tubes, each ready to deploy a single loitering munition. The design allows scaling from 2 to 20 tubes.
The second sub-version, Block 20, offers an extended flight time of 20 minutes and an improved DDL range. It is equipped with a panoramic day and infrared camera set, providing real-time imaging. The munition’s weight has been increased to 3.6 kg. This UAV can transmit intelligence data, such as target GPS coordinates. The estimated cost per drone is 90,000 USD to 120,000 USD.
During the XXXII International Defence Industry Exhibition (MSPO 2024) at Targi Kielce, both the Switchblade 300 and Switchblade 600 were presented by Parasnake Arkadiusz Szewczyk, a company based in Kielce (MSPO 2024: Parasnake will showcase AeroVironment UAVs).