This story originally appeared in the JC Israel Briefing. You can sign up to receive the briefing daily here.
Greece is expected to soon approve a €3 billion (£2.6bn) agreement to acquire Israeli-made air defence systems, in a move that would further deepen defence cooperation between Jerusalem and Athens amid growing regional security concerns.
The Greek parliament is anticipated to give final approval to the programme, known as “Achilles Shield,” which would establish a multilayered air defence network designed to protect the country against ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, drones and hostile aircraft.
According to Israeli defence officials cited by Calcalist, the proposed system will rely heavily on Israeli technology, including Rafael Advanced Defence Systems’ David’s Sling and SPYDER air defence systems, alongside Israel Aerospace Industries’ Barak MX interceptor.
The project represents one of the largest prospective Israeli defence exports to Europe and reflects increasingly close strategic ties between Israel, Greece and Cyprus, which have expanded military and economic cooperation in recent years through joint exercises, energy partnerships and security agreements.
Israel’s air defence systems have attracted international attention following their repeated operational successes against missile and drone barrages during recent conflicts, including in the United Arab Emirates.
For Israel’s defence industry, parliamentary approval would mark another significant export success at a time when European nations are accelerating investment in air and missile defence capabilities following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and heightened instability across the Middle East.
If approved, the Achilles Shield programme would become a cornerstone of Greece’s national air defence architecture while reinforcing Israel’s position as one of Europe’s leading suppliers of advanced missile defence technology, despite growing frictions with the EU in the wake of the Gaza War.
This story originally appeared in the JC Israel Briefing. You can sign up to receive the briefing daily here.
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