Greece commemorated the 86th anniversary of OXI Day on Wednesday, October 28, with military and student parades across the country, honoring the nation’s refusal to surrender to Fascist Italy in 1940 and its subsequent participation in World War II. The main celebrations took place in Athens and Thessaloniki, where the annual military parade featured the public debut of advanced air defense systems, drones and domestically developed military technologies.
This year’s commemorations combined traditional ceremonies with a presentation of Greece’s ongoing military modernization program, particularly the multilayered defense network known as the Achilles Shield.
Athens and Thessaloniki commemorate Greece’s historic refusal
In Athens, hundreds of schoolchildren participated in the traditional student parade through the city center, marching past the Monument of the Unknown Soldier and the Hellenic Parliament in Syntagma Square. Accompanied by the Athens Municipal Philharmonic Orchestra, students represented schools throughout the capital, while government representatives, local officials and members of the public attended the ceremonies.
In Thessaloniki, the country’s largest military parade took place along Megalou Alexandrou Avenue, attended by President Konstantinos Tasoulas, senior government officials and military leaders. Units representing the Army, Navy and Air Force marched alongside military vehicles and equipment, while aircraft participated in the aerial demonstrations.
A highlight was the performance of the Hellenic Air Force’s F-16 demonstration team, Zeus. Pilot Christos-Paris Charitos addressed the public from the cockpit, recalling the historical significance of Greece’s refusal to accept the Italian ultimatum. President Tasoulas congratulated the pilot and the Armed Forces for their participation.
Achilles Shield and new weapons dominate Thessaloniki parade
The military parade also marked the first public presentation of components of the Achilles Shield, Greece’s developing integrated air and missile defense network, designed to strengthen protection against aircraft, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and unmanned aerial threats.
The systems displayed included the Israeli-developed SPYDER, BARAK MX and David’s Sling, alongside the Drone Dome electronic warfare system.
SPYDER is designed to intercept short- and medium-range aerial threats, while BARAK MX provides additional interception capabilities at greater distances. David’s Sling employs advanced Stunner interceptors against sophisticated airborne threats, including certain ballistic missiles. Drone Dome uses surveillance technology and electronic countermeasures to detect and disrupt hostile unmanned aircraft.
The parade also featured the PULS rocket artillery system, with a reported range of up to 300 kilometers, and a variety of unmanned aerial, ground and naval platforms. Among the domestically developed technologies were the Archytas surveillance drone, the Arpyia one-way attack drone and the Pyrpolitis unmanned surface vessel, designed by the Hellenic Navy.
Other systems included the Kentauros anti-drone platform, developed by Hellenic Aerospace Industry and tested during Greek naval operations in the Red Sea, as well as autonomous vehicles for reconnaissance, logistics and maritime surveillance.
Defense Minister Nikos Dendias has linked these developments to the government’s Agenda 2030 defense reform program, which emphasizes technological modernization, cybersecurity, autonomous systems and domestic defense production.
The presentation highlighted Greece’s efforts to develop a coordinated defense architecture rather than relying exclusively on individual weapons platforms, with the Achilles Shield forming a central element of that strategy.
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