Aircraft & UAVs

DJI Matrice 600 weaponized quadcopter

Also known as
  • DJI M600
  • DJI M600 Pro
  • DJI Matrice M600
  • DJI Matrice M600 Pro
  • Matrice 600
  • Matrice 600 Pro

The DJI Matrice 600 is a six-rotor commercial UAV platform designed for aerial imaging, payload carriage, and industrial work, with DJI listing a 6 kg maximum payload and retractable landing gear. Conflict reporting shows the same heavy-lift commercial airframe adapted by non-state armed groups for improvised munition drops, including PKK-linked RPG-projectile carriage and Hamas use against Israeli border surveillance towers on 7 October 2023.

DJI Matrice 600 weaponized quadcopter, Commercial hexacopter UAV adapted for munition drops, Aircraft & UAVs
Image source: Peruvian Air Force drone.jpg

Role in Conflicts

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
China
Built by
DJI
Type
Commercial hexacopter UAV adapted for munition drops
Service note
Introduced in 2016; documented in non-state improvised strike use by the early 2020s
Designer
DJI
Designed
2016
Unit cost
Varies by payload, camera, and kit
Produced
2016-present
Number built
Not publicly disclosed

Specifications

Configuration
Six-rotor commercial hexacopter UAV
Maximum payload
6 kg
Maximum takeoff weight
15.1 kg
Maximum speed
65 kph
Flight time
Up to 36 minutes with a Zenmuse X5 camera; up to 16 minutes with a larger camera
Dimensions
1668 mm x 1518 mm x 759 mm unfolded
Landing gear
Retractable
Flight-control system
DJI A3 on Matrice 600; A3 Pro pre-installed on Matrice 600 Pro
Carried Munitions

Open-source conflict reporting ties Matrice 600-family airframes to improvised carriage of RPG-family projectiles rather than a factory munition interface.

Carried itemItem typeCarriage evidence
PG-7VM rocket-propelled grenade, RPG-7 HEAT rocket-propelled grenade round, MunitionsPG-7VM rocket-propelled grenadeRocket-propelled grenade projectile

Militant Wire reports PKK DJI Matrice M600-family UAVs carrying PG-7VM and PG-7VL projectiles.

Sources: Weapons Used and Captured by the PKK in 2021

RPG high-explosive rounds, Unguided rocket-propelled grenade ammunition, MunitionsRPG high-explosive roundsOG-7-pattern projectile

Militant Wire reports a PKK DJI Matrice M600 carrying OG-7-pattern projectiles; the related record covers the broader RPG high-explosive/fragmentation family because the public source does not establish a single exact OG model.

Sources: Weapons Used and Captured by the PKK in 2021

Improvised carriage

The relationship is documented as field adaptation by armed groups, not as DJI-designed weapon compatibility.

Sources: DJI Introduces Next-Generation Matrice 600 Aerial Platform, Weapons Used and Captured by the PKK in 2021

Commercial Airframe, Improvised Payload

The Matrice 600's cataloged military relevance comes from adaptation rather than a factory weapon package. DJI marketed the airframe for stabilized cameras and industrial payloads, while conflict sources document non-state users hanging RPG-family projectiles from the heavy-lift frame.

Source contextDocumented adaptationSourcing limit
DJI product familyThe original Matrice 600 used DJI's A3 controller and Lightbridge 2, while Matrice 600 Pro integrated A3 Pro and Lightbridge 2 at the factory.The catalog treats both M600 and M600 Pro wording as the same weaponized heavy-lift family rather than separate weapon pages.
PKK weapons reviewM600 and M600 Pro examples with PG-7VM, PG-7VL, and OG-7-pattern projectiles.The source documents possession and carriage imagery, not a named strike date for each pictured airframe.
7 October Hamas attack reportingMatrice 600 rotary-wing UAVs dropping RPG rounds on surveillance towers at the Gaza border fence.Euro-SD ties the claim to Hamas propaganda video and IDF captured-equipment photos.

Sources: DJI Introduces Next-Generation Matrice 600 Aerial Platform; Matrice 600 Pro; Weapons Used and Captured by the PKK in 2021; IDF knew of Hamas battle plan a year before attack, but dismissed it becoming a reality.

Timeline

DJI Matrice 600 weaponized quadcopter Key Events

  1. DJI introduces the Matrice 600

    DJI announced the Matrice 600 as a six-rotor aerial platform for professional imaging and industrial payload work, listing a 6 kg payload and integrated A3/Lightbridge systems.

    Sources: DJI Introduces Next-Generation Matrice 600 Aerial Platform

  2. PKK M600 projectile carriage review published

    Militant Wire's 2021 PKK weapons review documented DJI Matrice M600-family UAVs with PG-7VM, PG-7VL, and OG-7-pattern projectiles in PKK improvised UAV-bomb context.

    Sources: Weapons Used and Captured by the PKK in 2021

  3. Hamas Matrice 600 drops RPG rounds

    Euro-SD reported Matrice 600 rotary-wing UAVs dropping RPG rounds on Israeli surveillance towers during the Hamas-led 7 October attack.

    Sources: IDF knew of Hamas battle plan a year before attack, but dismissed it becoming a reality, Drones and the Hamas-led Attack of 7 October 2023

Media

DJI Matrice 600 weaponized quadcopter Videos

DJI Matrice 600 weaponized quadcopter Images

DJI Matrice 600 weaponized quadcopter, Commercial hexacopter UAV adapted for munition drops, Aircraft & UAVs - view 1
Source: DJI Matrice 600 Pro UAS unit by Don Ramey Logan.jpg
DJI Matrice 600 weaponized quadcopter, Commercial hexacopter UAV adapted for munition drops, Aircraft & UAVs - view 2
Source: 2021-04-16 Matrice 600 Hexacopter10.jpg
Related Weapon Systems
DJI Matrice 300 RTK, Commercial quadcopter UAV, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsDJI Matrice 300 RTKCommercial quadcopter UAVThe DJI Matrice 300 RTK is a Chinese enterprise quadcopter built for inspection, mapping, public-safety, and sensor-heavy professional missions rather than military production. Its long-endurance airframe, RTK positioning, multi-gimbal payload options, and Zenmuse H20-series sensor compatibility made it useful as an off-the-shelf reconnaissance and observation UAV in wartime, with Ukrainian donor programs documenting Matrice 300 RTK transfers for front-line units during the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War.
Drone-dropped modified RPG or shaped-charge munition, Improvised drone-dropped RPG-derived shaped-charge munition, MunitionsMunitionsDrone-dropped modified RPG or shaped-charge munitionImprovised drone-dropped RPG-derived shaped-charge munitionDrone-dropped modified RPG or shaped-charge munitions are field-adapted explosive payloads that convert RPG-family projectiles or similar shaped-charge warheads into aerial drop weapons for commercial UAVs. Open-source conflict reporting documents PKK Matrice 600-family carriage of PG-7VM, PG-7VL, and OG-7-pattern projectiles in 2021 and Hamas-led use of modified RPG-derived munitions from commercial drones during the 7 October 2023 attack on Israel.
Chinese commercial UAVs, Commercial multirotor UAV family, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsChinese commercial UAVsCommercial multirotor UAV familyChinese commercial UAVs are civilian quadcopter, hexacopter, and agricultural-drone families from Chinese manufacturers such as DJI and Autel that have been adapted for wartime reconnaissance and improvised strike missions. In the 2021 Myanmar Civil War, Reuters, ACLED, Fulcrum, and other reporting document resistance forces and later junta units using Chinese-made commercial drones for observation, target spotting, and grenade or bomb drops.
Improvised drones, Improvised military drone class, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsImprovised dronesImprovised military drone classImprovised drones are locally modified or field-assembled uncrewed aerial systems built from commercial quadcopters, FPV airframes, agricultural-drone parts, and workshop-made payload fittings. The record tracks a distributed weapon class rather than one factory model: Islamic State, Ukrainian and Russian forces, Hamas, Israeli units in Gaza, and Myanmar armed actors all adapted small UAVs for reconnaissance, bomb drops, assault support, and low-cost strike roles.
Armed commercial quadcopter drone, Weaponized commercial quadcopter UAV, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsArmed commercial quadcopter droneWeaponized commercial quadcopter UAVArmed commercial quadcopter drones are civilian off-the-shelf multirotor UAVs adapted for battlefield surveillance, target observation, propaganda filming, and short-range explosive delivery. In the Lake Chad basin, reporting links ISWAP and Boko Haram-linked forces to a late-2024 shift from ISR and propaganda drone use toward armed quadcopter attacks carrying locally made or locally fabricated grenades against Nigerian military positions in Borno and Yobe.

Sources

DJI Introduces Next-Generation Matrice 600 Aerial PlatformPublisher: DJI | Note: Supports the Matrice 600's 2016 introduction, six-rotor design, 6 kg payload capacity, speed, flight-time examples, retractable landing gear, and manufacturer/background context. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Support for Matrice 600Publisher: DJI | Note: Supports the Matrice 600's dimensions, weight, maximum takeoff weight, and other official platform specifications. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Matrice 600 ProPublisher: DJI | Note: Supports the Matrice 600 Pro configuration, including factory-integrated A3 Pro and Lightbridge 2 context. | Accessed: 2026-07-01IDF knew of Hamas battle plan a year before attack, but dismissed it becoming a realityPublisher: European Security & Defence | Note: Direct conflict-use source for the 2023 Israel-Hamas War: says Hamas used Matrice 600 rotary-wing UAVs to drop RPG rounds on IDF surveillance towers along the Gaza border fence on 7 October 2023. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Drones and the Hamas-led Attack of 7 October 2023Publisher: International Centre for Counter-Terrorism | Note: Supports 2023 Israel-Hamas War direct-use context by analyzing Hamas drone employment during the 7 October 2023 attack and its tactical implications. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Peruvian Air Force drone.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance page for a licensed Wikimedia Commons photo of a DJI Matrice 600 drone belonging to the Peruvian Air Force, licensed under CC BY 2.0. | Accessed: 2026-07-01DJI Matrice 600 Pro UAS unit by Don Ramey Logan.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance page for a licensed Wikimedia Commons photo of a DJI Matrice 600 Pro UAS unit, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. | Accessed: 2026-07-012021-04-16 Matrice 600 Hexacopter10.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance page for a licensed Wikimedia Commons photo of a Matrice 600 hexacopter, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Weapons Used and Captured by the PKK in 2021Publisher: Militant Wire | Note: Supports 1984 Kurdish-Turkish Conflict direct-use context by documenting DJI Matrice M600 and M600 Pro UAVs in PKK use with PG-7VM, PG-7VL, and OG-7-pattern projectiles; also supports the carried-munition relationships. | Accessed: 2026-07-01