Lithuania Receives First Batch of U.S.-Made Switchblade 600 Kamikaze Drones
U.S.-made Switchblade 600 loitering munitions have entered service with the Lithuanian Armed Forces.
The Lithuanian Ministry of Defense press service reported that the first batch was delivered.
The ministry noted that the weapons supplier is defense company AeroVironment.
“With Switchblade 600 drones, the Lithuanian Armed Forces are gaining new strike capabilities. They allow service members to quickly and accurately destroy enemy armored vehicles from a safe distance,” Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas said.
Along with the Switchblade 600 drones, the Lithuanian military will receive equipment to launch and control them, as well as an operator training simulator and a technical maintenance package.
The agreement to supply the loitering munitions was signed in December 2022. Its total value is approximately €45 million. It was previously reported that the Switchblade 600 drones would arrive in Lithuania in 2024.
The defense minister emphasized that each such acquisition strengthens deterrence against an adversary and Lithuania’s security.
According to Robertas Kaunas, over the past three years Lithuania has purchased about €2 billion worth of weapons and equipment from the United States and is the largest buyer of U.S. weapons among the Baltic states.
Switchblade 600 Kamikaze Drones
According to the U.S. military, the Switchblade 600 is about 1.5 meters long, weighs 34 kilograms, and carries a multipurpose warhead from the Javelin missile.
The loitering munition has a flight endurance of 40 to 45 minutes and can strike targets up to 43.5 kilometers away. It can be retargeted in flight if battlefield conditions change. The Switchblade 600 can be used to strike vehicles or small groups of infantry.
Ukrainian troops have experience using the weapon, including to destroy a Russian Buk air defense system.
The loitering munition launches from a tubular launcher, significantly reducing deployment time and allowing use from virtually any location. In October 2025, U.S. defense company AeroVironment unveiled the Switchblade 600 Block 2, which was developed based on combat experience. It has 20% greater flight endurance and a control range of more than 100 kilometers.
Source: Militaryni
