Israel, Greece negotiating on 2 billion-euro deal for Iron Dome-like system
Athens seeking to accelerate modernization of armed forces amid frictions with long-time rival Turkey
ATHENS, Greece (Reuters) — Greece is in talks with Israel to develop a 2 billion-euro ($2.11 billion) anti-aircraft and missile defense dome, part of a wider push to modernize its armed forces as it recovers from a protracted debt crisis, Greek officials said on Thursday.
The defenses would likely mimic Israel’s Iron Dome and other systems that intercept short-range and long-range missiles launched during strikes from its neighbors amid the ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon.
Greece is keen to invest in its defenses to keep up with its NATO ally and historic rival Turkey, which is also developing its own air defenses, despite some improvement in relations.
“The plan is to create a multi-layer anti-aircraft and anti-drone system,” one source with knowledge of the issue told Reuters after a closed-door briefing with Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias.
“We are in discussions with Israel,” the source said.
A second official confirmed the scale of the potential deal, adding that Greece needs to spend 12.8 billion euros by 2035 to modernize its armed forces.
The air defenses are part of Athens’s 10-year military purchasing plan that includes acquiring up to 40 new F-35 fighter jets and drones from the US and four Belharra frigates and Rafale jets from France.
“Our effort is for a quick transition of our armed forces to the 21st century,” Dendias said before the Thursday briefing.
Greece currently uses US Patriot and old Russian S-300 systems to protect its airspace.
Despite some thaw in Greece’s long-troubled relations with Turkey, its much larger eastern neighbor, the two countries remain at odds on a range of issues including sea boundaries, energy resources and the airspace over the eastern Mediterranean.
