Israel to build €3 billion air-defense system for Greece

Israel and Greece have signed a roughly €3 billion contract for a Greek air-defense system that Israel has named Achilles’ Shield. Israel’s Defense Ministry described it as the largest defense export agreement in the history of relations between the two countries.

The system will bring together several Israeli technologies. They include Rafael’s David’s Sling for medium- and long-range air and missile defense, the Barak MX system for intercepting aircraft, drones and missiles, and Rafael’s mobile Spyder system for short- and medium-range threats.

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export in the history of relations between Israel and Greece, and one of the largest in the history of the State of Israel

The project will also include ELTA Systems’ MMR multimission radars for air surveillance and a national command-and-control system developed by Rafael. The Israeli Defense Ministry said it is the first time it will supply a complete defense system covering threats ranging from ballistic missiles and aerial attacks to unmanned aircraft.

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a complete defense system against a wide range of threats, from ballistic missiles and aerial threats to unmanned aerial vehicles

The contract was signed at Israel’s Defense Ministry headquarters in Tel Aviv by Israeli Director General of Defense Amir Baram and his Greek counterpart, Ioannis Bouras. Rafael and Israel Aerospace Industries will take part in implementing the system.

The two sides also signed a separate €26 million agreement for Rafael’s Drone Dome systems, designed to counter unmanned vehicles. The broader deal includes the transfer of knowledge and technology to Greece’s defense industry. The Israeli ministry called Greece a key strategic partner in the eastern Mediterranean and said the agreement reflected deep trust between the countries.

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This project represents another milestone in defense cooperation between Israel and Greece, a key strategic partner in the Eastern Mediterranean.