The Greek Parliament’s committee approved the procurement of a multi-layer air defence and anti-drone system, costing approximately €3 billion, alongside the upgrade of 38 F‑16 fighter jets, according to two sources cited by Reuters.
The combined cost of both programmes is estimated at around €4 billion.
Earlier in London, Defence Minister Nikos Dendias highlighted the defence initiatives as part of the long-term Military Equipment Programme under the “Agenda 2030”. He said the projects primarily aim to strengthen Greece’s air defence through the creation of a multi-layered mechanism to counter airborne threats.
“This represents a central element of the ‘Achilles Shield’, our new deterrence programme. The need for such protection has been proven on modern battlefields. We are finally establishing a protective dome over Greek territory capable of addressing contemporary threats from aircraft, drones, missiles, and ballistic missiles,” Dendias said.
He added that Greek companies will participate in the production of these systems, with a minimum 25% local involvement. The programme also includes developing infrastructure for the operational integration of F-35 aircraft at Andravida Air Base.
“The F-35 are not merely aircraft; they introduce our air force into a new era. The plan also includes upgrading around 40 F-16 Block 50 jets to Viper standard, enabling the country to operate more than 100 F-16 Vipers,” Dendias said.
