Greece has formally restarted its air-defence cooperation with Israel after months of political hesitation linked to the conflict in Gaza. The Ministry of National Defence confirmed that negotiations under the “Achilles Shield” programme are once again under way, marking a decisive return to a project positioned at the centre of Athens’s 12-year Medium-Term Defence Procurement Plan.
Sources in Athens say the original pause stemmed from concerns about the optics of buying Israeli systems while operations in Gaza continued. With a ceasefire now in place, the government has moved quickly to revive talks — citing the need to counter Turkiye’s expanding missile, UAV and strike capabilities across the Aegean.
The priority for Greece is to retire its ageing Soviet-era OSA-AK and TOR-M1 short-range systems. Rafael’s Spyder family has emerged as the preferred replacement, offering improved performance against drones, cruise missiles and low-altitude threats. Greek officials view the system as essential to restoring credible short-range coverage.
For the medium tier, Greece intends to adopt Israel Aerospace Industries’ Barak MX system, which would finally allow the phase-out of US-made HAWK batteries still in service. IAI’s existing industrial footprint in Greece is expected to ease delivery timelines and support domestic integration work.
At the upper layer, the David’s Sling system — specifically its “Sky Capture” variant — is under examination as a future replacement for Greece’s long-standing S-300 batteries stationed in Crete. This would give Athens a modern counter-ballistic capability, completing a fully Israeli-supplied layered architecture.
Long-range strike and deterrence assets are also included in the wider programme. The PULS multi-launch rocket system, also Israeli-made, is being evaluated as part of Greece’s artillery modernisation effort.
Greek media estimate the overall cost of the Achilles Shield package at around €3 billion. The initial phase would likely focus on Thrace and the eastern Aegean islands, regions considered most vulnerable to Turkish air and missile capabilities. Greece’s long-term goal is to build a comprehensive air defence and counter-drone system that spans the whole country.
Athens, it seems, weighed German and Italian options during its assessment. However, Israeli systems ultimately prevailed. Their edge stemmed from a combination of factors: the systems were already proven, there were promises to technology transfer, and the possibilities of wider industrial collaboration were appealing.
Decisions on the programme are expected to move to the National Security Council (KYSEA) and the Hellenic Parliament in the coming weeks, setting the stage for one of Greece’s largest defence procurement efforts in more than a decade.
Author: Özgür Ekşi