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Israel and Greece sign a €3 billion defense deal to build a multi-layered air defense system for Athens.

Israel and Greece signed a €3 billion ($3.5 billion) defense deal on Monday to establish a multi-layered air defense system for Greece. The agreement, known as the Achilles Shield, is Israel's largest-ever defense export deal with Greece and one of the largest in the country's history. Under the deal, Israel will supply Greece with the David’s Sling and SPYDER systems produced by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, the BARAK MX system made by Israel Aerospace Industries, and MMR multi-mission radars. Greece will also receive a new national command-and-control system to integrate its air-defense capabilities. A supplementary €26 million agreement will provide Greece with Drone Dome systems to protect strategic sites. The deal is part of a broader military modernization program for Greece, which plans to spend approximately €28 billion by 2036 to build the Achilles Shield system and acquire up to 40 F-35 fighter jets from the U.S. and frigates from France and Italy. Turkish media and analysts have commented on the agreement. A Turkish television presenter and a retired colonel, Çağlar Özer, noted that the system will strengthen Greece's anti-aircraft capabilities against threats from Turkey and Iran. Çağlar Özer also suggested that the deal reflects Israel's desire to establish a dominant role in the Eastern Mediterranean.

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