JERUSALEM \u2014 Israel and Greece signed a $3.4 billion (\u20ac3 billion) deal for air defense systems today at the Israel Ministry of Defense headquarters in Tel Aviv.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Dubbed Achilles\u2019 Shield in Greece, the multi-layered air defense system is expected to expand Israel\u2019s industrial defense cooperation with Greece and shore up supply chains. The deal has been widely expected<\/a> over the last several months.\u00a0<\/p>\n In a statement<\/a>, Greek Minister of National Defense Nikos Dendias called Achilles\u2019 Shield \u201can important link in the reform of the Armed Forces and an imperative response to the geopolitical and technological challenges of our time.\u201d<\/p>\n Dendias added that Achilles\u2019 Shield will be \u201ca holistic deterrence system.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cShips, aircraft, land assets, autonomous systems, new satellites, and more generally, every platform equipped with sensors, are integrated into a single network-centric architecture,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The Israel Ministry of Defense said the deal marks the first time it will supply a complete defense array to combat a range of threats, from ballistic missiles to small drones.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cUnder the deal, Israel will build Greece a comprehensive, multi-layered air defense array, drawing entirely on Israeli-made systems and on the extensive operational experience Israel\u2019s defense establishment has gained during the war,\u201d the ministry said in a statement.\u00a0<\/p>\n The agreement includes the medium-range David\u2019s Sling, which was developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems with US support. David\u2019s Sling had its first combat interception<\/a> in 2023 and has also been sold<\/a> to Finland. Israel Aerospace Industries\u2019s Barak MX, which has been sold<\/a> to a number of international customers, will also be supplied. In addition, Rafael\u2019s Spyder air defense system is part of the deal. Romania also acquired<\/a> Spyder in a multi-billion-dollar deal in June.\u00a0<\/p>\n In addition to the air defense systems, Greece is also acquiring MMR radars that are made by IAI\u2019s subsidiary Elta. The Czech Republic and Slovakia both use similar Israeli-made radars.\u00a0<\/p>\n The deal is the largest in the history of Israel-Greece defense sales, and \u201cwill expand industrial defense cooperation with Greece, including the transfer of knowledge and technology to the local industry,\u201d the Israel Ministry of Defense said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Israeli firms have inked other major sales in Greece, including Elbit Systems\u2019s development of an International Flight Training Center in Kalamata. Defense cooperation between the two countries, including joint exercises, has increased in recent years as Israel sees Greece as a strategic partner in the Eastern Mediterranean.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a direct application of the Ministry\u2019s strategy: growing defense exports as a key driver of IDF force buildup, of Israel\u2019s foreign policy influence, and of a stronger national defense industry and economy,\u201d Major. Gen. Amir Baram, director-general of the Israeli Ministry of Defense, said in a statement.\u00a0<\/p>\n Baram said the deal will also drive the expansion of Israel\u2019s production lines and help build up stockpiles \u2014 both of which have been stressed for Western nations amid the Ukraine and Iran wars.<\/p>\n IAI Chairman Boaz Levy noted that the deal comes after his firm spent recent years \u201cdeepening its activity in Greece, working alongside local partners and deploying some of the most advanced technologies in the world.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIAI\u2019s operational air defense systems proved their capabilities in the recent fighting against Iran and its proxies, successfully intercepting a range of threats, chief among them exo-atmospheric ballistic missiles,\u201d Levy added.\u00a0<\/p>\n