Lithuania to Acquire Switchblades

Lithuania’s Defence Materiel Agency has signed a contract last week for the acquisition of the Switchblade 600 combat drones from the US government, the Defence Ministry said.

“We are the first country in the world, after the US itself, to acquire the Switchblade 600,” he added. “These combat drones are a new redeployable capability that will give the Lithuanian Armed Forces the ability to destroy enemy tanks and other armoured vehicles up to 40 kilometres away. Our Armed Forces have never had such a capability before.”

The contract also included drone launching and control equipment, a simulator for personnel training, and a maintenance package. The total value of the contract is around 45 million dollars (42.3 million euros).

The US will also hand over smaller and lighter Switchblade 300 combat drones to Lithuania. This capability is expected to be financed by the US Military Assistance Fund.

Source: LRT