The United States welcomed security cooperation between Greece and Israel after the two countries signed a €3.035 billion agreement to build a new multilayered air defense network known as the Achilles Shield.
“The United States welcomes cooperation between Greece and Israel that advances our shared security goals,” a State Department spokesperson told To Vima in response to a question about the agreement and the broader defense relationship between the two countries.
Turkey has watched the expanding military relationship between Greece and Israel with concern.
The State Department statement came days after the agreement was signed in Tel Aviv and did not explicitly endorse the purchase or comment on the weapons systems involved.
Signed on August 31, the agreement calls for Israel to help build an integrated network designed to protect Greece against aircraft, ballistic missiles and drones. The Israeli Defense Ministry described it as the largest defense export agreement in the history of relations between the two countries and one of the largest arms deals Israel has concluded.
The network will include David’s Sling and SPYDER systems manufactured by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, the BARAK MX system produced by Israel Aerospace Industries and MMR surveillance radars. Rafael will also develop a national command and control system connecting the country’s air defense capabilities.
Israeli officials said a supplemental agreement worth €26 million was signed for the delivery of Drone Dome systems to protect strategic sites from unmanned aircraft.
The Achilles Shield is a central component of Agenda 2030, the Greek government’s broader plan to modernize the armed forces. Greek officials say the project will replace a collection of separate systems with an integrated structure capable of identifying threats and coordinating a response across the military.
The agreement comes as Greece continues to expand its defense capabilities amid longstanding tensions with Turkey over maritime boundaries, airspace and Cyprus. Relations between Turkey and Israel have also deteriorated sharply over the conflicts in Gaza and Syria.
Turkish news organizations have presented the agreement largely through the lens of the rivalry between Athens and Ankara, focusing on how the new systems could affect the military balance in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean. Neither Greece nor Israel identified Turkey as the intended target of the network, and the Turkish government has not formally responded to the signing.
The program also provides for the participation of Greek defense and technology companies. According to the Greek Defense Ministry, 19 companies are already involved. Their share will exceed 25 percent of the agreement’s value, or about €750 million.
Israel has also agreed to transfer technology and expertise to Greek industry. Greek officials expect the complete network to become operational within 35 months.
