Greece and Israel Sign €3 Billion Deal for “Achilles Shield” Air Defense System

Greece and Israel today signed an agreement in Tel Aviv to establish the “Achilles Shield,” a new multi-layered architecture for Greece’s air and missile defense. According to the Jerusalem Post, the system is designed to counter potential threats from Turkey and Iran.

Top Channel correspondent Aleksandër Marku reports that the project is valued at more than €3 billion and envisages the creation of a protective “dome” against aircraft, drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles. Rather than relying on a single weapon, “Achilles Shield” will integrate radars, missiles and command centers into a unified network, drawing on some of Israel’s most advanced systems.

The Barak MX system will operate at ranges of 35 to 150 kilometers. Spyder will be used primarily for shorter-range defense on the Greek islands, including popular tourist destinations visited by many Israelis. David’s Sling is also included to address longer-range threats and will operate in coordination with the Patriot missiles already in Greece’s arsenal.

The new radars will play a crucial role, as they will be able to detect multiple targets simultaneously and assess the level of threat. Artificial intelligence will also be part of the system, processing data within seconds and helping select the fastest response.

Other modern capabilities of the Greek armed forces will also be integrated into the network, ranging from Rafale and F-16 Viper aircraft to Belharra frigates and missile systems. Athens aims to have the entire project fully operational within approximately three years.

Greece’s defense industry will be directly involved in implementing the agreement. At least 25% of the program will be carried out with Greek participation through production, cooperation with Israeli companies and technology transfer. Greek companies are expected to receive around €700 million of the total amount as subcontractors for Rafael and IAI.

The Israeli Ministry of Defense describes it as the largest arms export deal in the history of Israel-Greece relations. A separate contract worth €26 million has also been signed for Drone Dome, a system that will protect strategic facilities from drone attacks.

As one of Greece’s largest armament programs, “Achilles Shield” aims to fundamentally transform the way the country’s airspace is defended. Greece has already become a major customer of Israel’s defense industry, acquiring Spike missiles and SPICE precision-guided bombs from Rafael, Rampage missiles from Elbit Systems and IAI, and Heron 2 drones from IAI.

The air defense contract is expected to further deepen the strategic partnership between the two countries, with Israel assuming a key role in supporting the security of Greek airspace. In recent years, Greece, Cyprus and Israel have stepped up security coordination amid heightened tensions with Turkey.