The Greek National Security Council (KYSEA) is expected to approve the country’s new integrated air defence system, known as the “Achilles Shield“, at a key meeting on Thursday, according to a source familiar with the matter.
If the plan proceeds as scheduled, the agreement is expected to be signed in Athens in early August, when officials from Israel’s Directorate of Defense Research and Development (MAFAT) and the International Defense Cooperation Directorate (SIBAT) are due to visit Greece to launch the programme’s implementation.
According to the report, Greek companies will manufacture the system’s missile canisters and munitions, while the core system will be supplied by Israeli defence firms IAI and Elbit Systems. Elta Systems, an Elbit subsidiary, is expected to provide the radar component, while the command-and-control (C2) system will be developed in Greece.
The programme is also expected to exceed the Defence Ministry’s target of at least 25% domestic industrial participation in defence procurement. Military sources said the Greek share would increase significantly over the next three to four years through additional memoranda of understanding between Greece and Israel beyond the initial agreement.
Defense package worth up to 5 billion euros
KYSEA is also expected to review a series of other defence procurement programmes, including the acquisition of Hellfire missiles for Apache attack helicopters, C-390 military transport aircraft, an upgrade of Greece’s Drone Dome counter-drone system, the purchase of an additional Heron unmanned aerial vehicle from Israel, Victa submersible vehicles from the United Kingdom, upgrades to the anti-submarine warfare capabilities of the Hellenic Navy’s MEKO-class frigates, the acquisition of V-BAT drones, and a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) microsatellite programme being developed in cooperation with Poland under the SAFE framework.
The total value of the procurement package expected to be considered could reach or exceed 5 billion euros, according to the report. The “Achilles Shield” programme alone is estimated to cost around 3 billion euros.
