The State Department stressed that the sale approval “will not alter the basic military balance” in the Mediterranean—a statement intended to reassure Turkey, the likely target.

The Hellenic military will likely add one of the most powerful kamikaze drones in its arsenal after the US State Department gave the green light. 

Greece now has the option to acquire 350 Switchblade 300 one-way attack unmanned systems for an estimated $80.1 million, though the contract has not yet been finalized. If it goes through, the contract would also include 35 LMAMS Fire Control Systems (FCS).

About the Switchblade Kamikaze Drone

The Switchblade 300 is an anti-personnel kamikaze drone. It packs an explosive warhead with hundreds of metal ball bearings and C-4 explosives. Infantry and special operations forces can deploy the drone from a mortar-like tube, but they need to be close to their target, as the drone has an operational range of 6 miles or 15 minutes. It can reach speeds up to 100 miles per hour. 

“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by improving the security of a NATO Ally that continues to be a force for political and economic stability in Europe,” the State Department wrote in a media release. 

The Switchblade first saw operational action in the Middle East during the War on Terror, where US special operations forces used it to great effect against insurgent and terrorist targets. The Ukrainian military has also been using American-supplied Switchblade 300 (and the heavier Switchblade 600) against the Russian forces.

“The proposed sale will improve Greece’s capability to deter current and future threats, support coalition operations, and increase interoperability with the United States,” the State Department wrote. “Greece will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment into its armed forces.”

Greece Needs New Drones to Take On Turkey

Near the end of the announcement, the State Department made an important point intended to reassure Turkey. 

“The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the [Mediterranean] region,” the State Department added.  

Although Greece and Turkey share a long rivalry, they are both NATO member states, joining the alliance together in 1952. At the time, both nations were fiercely anti-communist and opposed to the rise of the Soviet Union, despite their own animosities.

The two countries have been fighting for centuries. After hundreds of years of fighting, the Ottoman Empire defeated the Byzantine Empire and captured the city of Constantinople (today Istanbul) in 1453. The Ottoman Empire ruled Greece for nearly the next four centuries, until Greece won independence in 1821. Since then, the two have fought repeated wars over territory in eastern Europe.

In 1974, Turkey invaded Greek-allied Cyprus, carving off the northern part of the island as a pro-Turkish client state. The latest major incident between the two NATO allies took place in 2020, when Turkey tried to conduct oceanographic surveys for oil and natural gas in the Aegean Sea, bringing the two countries very close to a clash. During those heated days, a Hellenic Navy frigate even rammed a Turkish warship, creating a hole in its hull.

In that sense, the State Department’s seemingly innocuous sentence is intended to ensure that centuries of animosity between the two NATO allies do not flare up again due to the transfer of the kamikaze drones to the Greek military—though it is unclear if Washington will have the final word.

About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou  

Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University, an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), and a JD from Boston College Law School. His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.

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