Loitering munition

Approval for the procurement of Switchblade drones was granted by KYSEA, which convened under the Prime Minister on Friday morning.

These drones, manufactured in the United States, belong to the category of loitering munitions. They are small in size, equipped with explosive warheads, and guided to their targets by their operators.

The National Security Governmental Council (KYSEA), the country's top decision-making body for foreign affairs and defense matters, has approved the acquisition of 590 US-made Switchblade 300 and Switchblade 600 loitering munitions, or kamikaze drones, for the Greek army.   

Greece is reportedly in advanced talks to acquire 36 PULS rocket artillery systems from Israel as part of its efforts to modernize its Armed Forces, according to Reuters, citing two officials.

Orlin Rusev, the leader of a Bulgarian espionage cell in the UK, discussed selling captured US-made drones to China, according to details revealed during an ongoing trial where Bulgarians face charges of espionage for Russia. This information surfaced in reports from the Financial Times.

The Greek armed forces are steadily integrating advanced unmanned systems, including loitering munitions, surveillance and strike UAVs, drones for intelligence gathering, target tracking, and firing-data provision, as well as surface and underwater drones.

Greek military officials are closely examining Israel's repurposed use of Apache attack helicopters to intercept drones and are reviewing footage of Israeli drone engagement operations as part of a local effort to upgrade Greece's first-generation Apaches.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will give a "considerable" number of kamikaze drones of an unspecified type to Albania, the country's Prime Minister Edi Rama has said.

"It is a present that comes as a strong message from the Republic of Turkey that Albania is unhittable," Rama told a joint news conference during on one-day visit by Erdogan.

A leading Turkish defense company, STM, will be exhibiting its naval platforms and tactical mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems in Azerbaijan and the Philippines after South Africa.

STM is participating in Africa Aerospace and Defense 2024, a prominent defense fair held in Pretoria, South Africa, on Sept. 18-22, according to a statement by the company.

Greece is set to purchase Switchblade drones from the United States to enhance its military capabilities, according to sources cited by Reuters on Wednesday. The Switchblade, manufactured by AeroVironment, Inc., is a compact loitering munition that flies to a target before detonating. This type of drone has gained prominence due to its use by the Ukrainian military against Russian forces.