Overview
- Greece’s security council cleared the procurement contracts on Thursday, July 23, authorizing up to €3.5 billion to build the multi‑layer “Achilles Shield” centered on Israeli radars and interceptor missiles.
- Defence Minister Nikos Dendias set a 35‑month target for the shield to be fully operational and said Greek companies will perform at least 25 percent of the work, about €700 million in industrial participation.
- The package confirmed in reports includes Israeli systems from Rafael and IAI as the core of the layered architecture plus multiple drone types, three Embraer C‑390 transport aircraft and special‑operations Victa mini‑submarines.
- Officials say the move addresses growing threats from missiles, rockets and one‑way drones and builds on Greece’s existing mix of U.S. Patriot batteries and older Russian S‑300s while fitting into a wider €28 billion force‑modernisation plan through 2036.
- The deal deepens Greek‑Israeli defence ties, creates supply and maintenance work for Greek industry, and will require staged deliveries and new command‑and‑control integration that could change defence posture for islands and mainland regions.