WARSAW, Poland – The Lithuanian Defense Ministry has signed a deal to purchase Switchblade 600 drones from the United States, becoming the first European NATO member to order the Kamikaze system.
“We are the first country in the world after the United States to purchase Switchblade 600. These combat drones are a new deployable capability that will give the Lithuanian army the ability to destroy enemy tanks and other armored vehicles at ranges of up to 40 kilometers. Our army has not had such a capacity so far,” Defense Minister Arvydas Anušauskas said in a ministerial statement.
The deal is valued at around 45 million euros ($48 million), the statement said. The American company AeroVironment makes the kamikaze drones, sometimes referred to as loitering munitions.
It is unclear how many Switchblade 600 systems Lithuania will receive.
As part of its efforts to combat Russia’s ongoing invasion, Ukraine has deployed Switchblade 300 drones in combat. Likewise, other countries along Russia’s Western Front are buying combat UAVs. Poland, for example, leased a set of MQ-9A Reaper drones from General Atomics in October and is preparing to purchase the unmanned aerial vehicle. And Romania this month signed a framework agreement with Israel’s Elbit Systems to buy up to seven Watchkeeper X drones earlier this week.
Meanwhile, the Lithuanian military could also acquire Switchblade 300 drones from the US “in the near future,” according to the ministry. Vilnius hopes Washington will fund this potential purchase as part of military aid to European allies, the statement said.
The Switchblade 600 order comes shortly after Lithuania and the US signed a $495 million deal for up to eight M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems. Deliveries are scheduled for the period 2025-2026.
Jaroslaw Adamowski is the Poland correspondent for Defense News.