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.

These technologies, included in a development plan through 2030 and backed by the country’s political and military leadership, are being tested in exercises and joint training, with officers closely monitoring their performance.

Lessons from military operations in Ukraine and the Middle East have shown that drones are now integral to military operations.

Although Greece’s first remote military system flew in 1982, both the military and defense industry have struggled to keep up with technological advancements, due in part to the economic crisis and a focus on other military systems.

However, in recent years, the Greek Defense Ministry and military have made efforts to catch up, while the domestic defense industry is also taking more decisive steps in the field of autonomous systems.

Special operations units are already equipped with various small “commercial” drones, primarily for reconnaissance. At the same time, more advanced systems, like the Israeli Orbiter 1K, are being tested.

The acquisition of the US-built Switchblade 300 and the larger Switchblade 600 is only a matter of time, through a bilateral agreement with the US.

The Switchblade 300 is a short-range drone, covering about 20 km and designed for use against personnel and lightly armored targets, while the Switchblade 600 has double the range and an anti-tank warhead, making it capable of engaging armored targets like tanks, armored vehicles, and fortified positions.

Source:e-kathimerini