A view of the main chamber of the Greek parliament on January 9. [Dimitris Periteris/Intime News]
Opposition parties attached asterisks on Monday to a sweeping multibillion-euro defense package anchored by a new multilayered air defense system dubbed Achilles’ Shield, with only the ruling party offering unqualified support.
The parliamentary defense committee met behind closed doors – leaving the precise nature of most objections unknown – to review programs worth approximately €5 billion, with €1.25 billion earmarked for Greek companies.
The one reservation that leaked out: No comparative study with alternative systems had been conducted.
On the centerpiece air defense initiative, PASOK, SYRIZA, Greek Solution, and Niki registered “present,” while the Communist Party and Course of Freedom voted against. Ruling New Democracy stood alone in favor.
Defense Minister Nikos Dendias, speaking from London – his absence drawing criticism from PASOK as a “downgrading” of the committee – called Achilles’ Shield “a significant core of the new deterrence program,” adding that the programs would bring Greek forces “into a new era.”
The package includes Israeli-made systems: Spyder short-range missiles, Barak MX for medium-range threats, and David’s Sling for ballistic missile interception.
F-35 infrastructure and F-16 upgrades drew broader cross-party backing. A KYSEA defense council meeting is scheduled this coming Monday to formally approve the programs.