Greece’s top national security council is expected to approve a €3 billion ($3.42 billion) package of Israeli-made air and missile defense systems on Thursday, clearing the way for the implementation of the country’s ambitious “Achilles’ Shield” program. The Government Council for National Security (KYSEA) will consider the acquisition of Rafael’s SPYDER All-in-One and David’s Sling systems, alongside the Barak MX platform developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).
If approved, the decision would complete the final formal stage before Greece begins implementing one of its largest defense programs in recent decades. Israeli officials are subsequently expected to travel to Athens to finalize contracts prepared by Greece’s General Directorate for Defense Armaments and Investments, according to Kathimerini.
At its core, Achilles’ Shield aims to protect military installations, population centers, energy facilities and other critical infrastructure across mainland Greece and the islands. More broadly, the network is intended to address threats ranging from aircraft and ballistic missiles to drones, autonomous weapons and cyberattacks.
How Greece’s Achilles’ Shield connects the country’s newest weapons systems
Rather than operating as an isolated collection of missile batteries, Achilles’ Shield will function as a unified, network-centric defense ecosystem. To achieve this, its command architecture will connect the new Israeli systems with Greece’s Belharra-class FDI frigates, upgraded F-16 Viper fighters, incoming F-35 stealth aircraft and existing Patriot missile batteries.
In practice, sensors, radars, aircraft, ships and ground-based interceptors will exchange targeting information through a common command network. As a result, Greek forces will be able to detect a threat through one platform and engage it with another, depending on its range, trajectory and characteristics.
Barak MX to form the network’s backbone
Within this architecture, IAI’s Barak MX will provide the central layer of the new defense network. The platform can use three interceptor variants, offering engagement ranges of between 35 and 150 kilometers.
Greece plans to use Barak MX to phase out its Cold War-era Hawk surface-to-air missile systems. Because it can deploy different interceptors, the system will allow commanders to respond to aircraft, cruise missiles, drones and other aerial threats at several distances.
Meanwhile, Rafael’s David’s Sling will cover the middle and upper layers of the network. Designed to intercept advanced ballistic missiles and other long-range threats, the system will assume functions currently performed by Greece’s Soviet-designed S-300 batteries.
At shorter ranges, the mobile SPYDER system will provide short- and medium-range protection, with planned engagement ranges of approximately fifteen, twenty, and forty kilometers. It will replace aging OSA-AK and TOR-M1 systems and, in turn, equip Greek forces with a more modern defense against aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicles.
Advanced radars to track hundreds of threats
Supporting these missile systems, the network will rely heavily on ELTA’s EL/M-2084 Multi-Mission Radars. These mobile Active Electronically Scanned Array, or AESA, systems will also contribute to the broader modernization of the Hellenic Air Force’s air surveillance infrastructure.
Each radar can reportedly track as many as 1,200 airborne targets at distances of up to 475 kilometers. In ballistic-weapons mode, moreover, the system can monitor up to two hundred trajectories within a radius of approximately one hundred kilometers (62 miles).
By combining radar data with information collected by ships, fighter aircraft and other sensors, the command network will provide military planners with a broader and more detailed picture of Greek airspace. Consequently, threats could be identified, assessed and assigned to the appropriate defensive system more quickly.
Greek industry to develop command hub
Coordinating the different layers of Achilles’ Shield will be a Greek-built Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence hub, commonly described as a C4I system.
Greek software, defense and engineering companies will participate in the development and assembly of the hub. Therefore, domestic industry will play a role in the system’s technological infrastructure rather than being limited to maintenance and logistical support.
Once operational, the C4I network will process information from multiple sensors, prioritize threats and help commanders select the most appropriate interceptor or weapons platform.
Greece’s Achilles’ Shield package includes drones, mini-submarines and transport aircraft
In addition to the core €3 billion ($3.42 billion) air defense program, KYSEA is expected to authorize several other major procurements. These include V-BAT vertical-takeoff unmanned aircraft for army surveillance, an Israeli Heron drone system for the Hellenic Air Force, British-built VICTA mini-submarines for special operations forces and Brazilian-made C-390 Millennium transport aircraft.
A Greek parliamentary committee had previously supported the purchase of three C-390 aircraft, one Heron system, ten V-BAT drones and ten VICTA diver-delivery craft. Furthermore, the wider package includes upgrades to four MEKO-200 frigates operated by the Hellenic Navy.
Taken together, the acquisitions reflect Greece’s effort to modernize several military capabilities at the same time. Beyond strategic air defense, the package expands the country’s capacity in aerial transport, intelligence gathering, naval warfare and special operations.
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