Greece and Israel have signed the first major defence deal worth over $3 billion, purchasing an integrated multi-layered air and missile defence system strengthening the capabilities of the Greek army during times of rising insecurity throughout the region, Reuters reported.
A defense agreement signed Monday in Tel Aviv will allow Greece to launch its “Achilles Shield” air defense program, integrating Israeli technology into the Greek military network to protect against ballistic missiles, aircraft and drones.
The program is designed based on the use of Rafael’s SPYDER and David’s Sling systems, and Israel Aerospace Industries’ Barak MX missile defence weapon, which each would form different layers of anti-air/missile defence capability.
The systems will be interconnected by a national command and control centre that is slated to use artificial intelligence.
Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias revealed that “Achilles Shield” will become operational within 35 months, with the deliveries made in instalments.
It has been estimated that the acquisition program will involve at least 25% from Greek defence companies and roughly 700 million of the deal is allocated to subcontractors in Greece. Almost three years in the making, the deal signed Monday paves the way for stronger defence cooperation between Athens and Tel Aviv and comes as Greece continues to upgrade its military, seeking to purchase as many as 40 F-35 jets to strengthen its position against Turkish air power.
