According to Dendias, KYSEA the eleven programs approved include:
- The “Shield of Achilles” air-defense, anti-ballistic and anti-drone system
- Non-kinetic systems for countering unmanned vessels
- The HERON 1 unmanned aircraft system
- Small SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) satellites providing on-demand satellite imagery under full national control
- Class II unmanned aerial vehicles, plus ten additional V-BAT systems
- Night-vision scopes, a core part of infantry gear
- Three new C-390 Millennium transport aircraft, acquired through a Greece-Portugal intergovernmental deal, with the first delivery expected in 2027 and in-flight refueling capability for fighter jets
- Ten special-operations underwater vehicles, eight built at Skaramangas shipyards and two in the UK
- Upgrades to four MEKO-class frigates with advanced anti-submarine systems
- Laser-guided HELLFIRE missiles to boost Apache helicopters’ strike capability
- Postgraduate study programs in the US for officers, focused on autonomous systems and AI
The Shield of Achilles and Greek Defense Industry
On the “Shield of Achilles,” Dendias described it as a set of weapons systems with overlapping layers forming “a holistic command-and-control system,” with Greek defense industry participation worth €700 million. He said the air-defense layer draws on data from every sensor, down to the sights on infantry helmets, processing, prioritizing, and proposing responses to any threat, turning the armed forces into a modern machine capable of ingesting and processing all available data and responding to any challenge.
Dendias said today’s decisions cover a large part of “Agenda 2030,” and that the second phase of the new Force Structure, along with the long-term procurement plan for 2027-2037, will be unveiled in September.
