Arms deal draws Israel and Greece closer, against Turkey

Greece is calling its new Israeli-built air-defense network “Achilles’ Shield,” insisting that the system is defensive and intended to promote stability in the eastern Mediterranean. Yet the deal clearly changes the military calculation around Turkey, making it more difficult and costly for Ankara to threaten or attack its historic rival.

The agreement, worth nearly 40 billion kronor, covers three coordinated missile systems to be delivered over the next three years. David’s Sling will intercept ballistic missiles and unmanned aircraft at high altitude. Barak MX will target rockets and anti-ship missiles, while Spyder will defend against incoming drones and other short-range threats. An Elta radar system from Israel’s state-owned aerospace industry will coordinate the weapons.

Athens is incorporating the purchase into its ambitious Agenda 2030 program, a sweeping modernization of the Greek armed forces expected to cost 300 billion kronor. The plan also includes the acquisition of US F-35 fighter jets. Greek officials describe the arms as defensive, but the system’s deployment comes against a backdrop of increasingly hostile rhetoric from Turkey.

In 2022, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan repeatedly warned Greece: “Greeks, be careful, do not forget history, do not forget Izmir, we will come suddenly one night!” Turkish forces retook Izmir in 1922 after three years of Greek occupation, forcing the city’s 150,000 Greeks to leave Turkey. Ankara also says Greece violates international agreements by maintaining forces on Aegean islands close to Turkey, particularly Rhodes, where Greece is building a base for drone operations. Greece argues that its military buildup is necessary for self-defense because Turkey has established landing-craft bases close to Greek islands.

The deal also marks the latest shift in regional alignments. Turkey was once Israel’s closest Mediterranean ally, with intensive military cooperation. Greece now occupies that role. Turkey’s 2019 maritime agreement with Libya helped block plans for a pipeline carrying gas from Israeli and Cypriot fields to Europe, leaving Israel to sell its gas to Egypt and Jordan instead. Israeli arms exports reached about 200 billion kronor last year, while Turkey’s arms exports are rising even faster, driven mainly by drones.

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Greeks, be careful, do not forget history, do not forget Izmir, we will come suddenly one night!