Greece and Israel Strengthen Military Cooperation Amid Region Tensions

Greece Announces Largest Purchase of Israeli Weapons

Athens, Greece - The Greek parliament’s Defence Affairs Committee has approved the purchase of 36 PULS rocket artillery systems from Israel at a cost of $760 million. This is the largest Greek acquisition of Israeli weapons to date.

The medium-range air defence system will be part of Greece’s Shield of Achilles, a layered air defence umbrella announced last year worth €2.8 billion ($3.3 billion). If co-production is on the table, the remainder of that budget could be devoted to additional Israeli systems.

Greece has formed negotiating committees to buy three additional missile defence systems from Israel-owned Rafael and Israeli Aerospace Industries, worth a potential €3.1 billion ($3.5 billion). The systems, comprising short, medium and long-range air defence against airborne threats, would complete the Shield of Achilles.

Greek officials have stated that Greece is interested in jointly developing weapons with Israel. Angelos Syrigos, chairman of the Defence Affairs Committee, said that co-production would be a significant step forward for the relationship.

Greece’s Ministry of National Defence has also discussed a government-to-government deal with Israel to bypass a competitive bid process. This approach allows Greece to secure Israeli systems without going through a tendering process.

Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias has confirmed that Greece wants to move towards co-development with Israel, citing the country’s advanced defence technologies. However, not everyone agrees with this decision, with some critics expressing concerns about emboldening ties with Israel amid its ongoing conflicts in Gaza.

Greece is a member of the European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI), but it has not entered into talks to buy German air defence systems. The negotiations with Israel are taking place without a competitive bid process, which will allow Greece to secure Israeli systems directly.

Source: Al Jazeera