Full story
Achilles Shield signed
Israel and Greece signed a €3 billion ($3.5 billion) air defence deal on Monday in Tel Aviv under which Israel will build a multi-layered air defence system for Greece as Athens pursues broader military modernisation.
“Israel and Greece signed a €3 billion ($3.5 billion) defence deal”
Reuters said Israel’s defence ministry described the agreement as “Israel's largest-ever defence export deal with Greece,” and it will supply Greece with the David's Sling and SPYDER systems produced by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and the BARAK MX system made by Israel Aerospace Industries, plus MMR multi-mission radars for air surveillance manufactured by IAI unit ELTA Systems.
The ProtoThema English report said the contracts were signed at a ceremony by Greece’s General Directorate for Defense Investments and Armaments (GDDIA) headed by Major General Ioannis Bouras and on the Israeli side by the Directorate of International Defense Cooperation (SIBAT) and MAFAT, and it described the program as “worth more than €3 billion.”
ProtoThema also said the agreement is activated after nearly three years of negotiations and is entering the implementation phase, with the Israeli side proceeding with orders to companies including IAI, Rafael and ELTA Systems.
Reuters added that Greece plans to spend about €28 billion by 2036 to build the Achilles Shield multi-layer anti-ballistic, anti-aircraft and anti-drone system, and it will buy up to 40 F-35 fighter jets from the U.S. and frigates from France and Italy.
Turkey tensions framed
The Al Hurra report said Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant framed the deal in terms of “entities that aspire to dominance seeking to expand their influence and destabilize the region,” while it described the “Akhil Shield” package as exceeding 10 billion shekels (about $3.3 billion) and capable of countering aircraft, ballistic missiles, and drones.
Al Hurra also quoted Turkish affairs expert Galia Lindenstrauss, who said, “It’s a complex deal that has been discussed for a long time, and its completion is not tied to events of the recent months,” and she argued it was not correct to link it to a current incident in the region.
The Reuters report said Greece spends nearly 3.5% of its gross domestic product on defence due to its long-standing dispute with neighbouring Turkey, and it described the Achilles Shield as part of Athens’ broader military modernisation programme.
Cadena Láser reported the Israeli Ministry of Defence said the agreement is “the largest defense export deal in the history of the Israel-Greece relationship,” and it quoted Israel Katz saying, “At a time when actors with hegemonic ambitions seek to expand their influence and undermine stability in the region, Israel and Greece will continue to deepen their defense and strategic cooperation,”.
Al Hurra said the deal includes an additional 26 million euro agreement to purchase “Drone Dome” anti-drone systems, and it described the political message as immediate while delivery would take years.
Implementation and stakes
ProtoThema said Achilles’ Shield is intended to reorganize Greece’s air-defence architecture and strengthen the domestic defense industry, with at least 25% of the program agreed to have a Greek industrial footprint.
“at least 25% of the program has been agreed to have a Greek industrial footprint”
It added that the down payment was estimated at around €600 million and that a significant portion of expenditure—around €700 million—would return to the Greek economy through projects awarded to Greek companies, co-production, technology transfers and development of technological capabilities.
Reuters said Greece will also receive a new national command-and-control system developed by Rafael to integrate the country’s air-defence capabilities, and it said a supplementary €26 million agreement will see Israel supply Greece with Rafael’s Drone Dome systems to protect strategic sites against drones and reinforce existing defences.
Cadena Láser quoted Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias saying recent technological advances “have completely rendered obsolete the defense doctrines that have existed for a long time,” and it said Greece is the first country in the European Union to adopt a multi-layer air defence system like the Israeli one.
Al Jazeera Net’s account described the project as having seven integrated layers and said Dendias described the “defensive” architecture as comprising seven integrated layers to counter ballistic missiles, aerial threats, drones, warships, and submarines, positioning the deal as a shift toward an integrated, multi-layer defence network.