Greece to buy artillery systems from Israel and drones from US, officials say

Greece is in advanced talks to buy 36 PULS rocket artillery systems from Israel as it pushes to modernize its armed forces, two officials say.

The discussions on the 600-700 million euro ($630 million-$735 million) deal come as the countries are in negotiations for Israel to sell Greece a 2-billion-euro anti-aircraft and missile defense dome.

Greece’s government will submit the deal to a parliamentary committee for approval in the first quarter of 2025, the officials say.

Athens has drafted a multi-billion, 10-year purchasing plan that also includes acquiring up to 40 new F-35 fighter jets from the US and four frigates from France.

The PULS system, made by Israel’s Elbit ESLT.TA, has a range of up to 300 km (190 miles), the officials say. The deal also includes the construction of components in Greece.

One of the officials added that on Friday, the country’s top decision-making body on foreign affairs and defense matters, KYSEA, approved the procurement of US-made Switchblade drones, made by AeroVironment, AVAV.O.

Most of the new artillery systems will protect Greece’s northeastern borders with Turkey and its islands in the Aegean, a second official says.

Greece and Turkey, NATO allies, have long been at odds over issues including where their continental shelves start and end, energy resources, flights over the Aegean, and the ethnically partitioned island of Cyprus.