
Greece's top national security body is expected to approve a €3 billion procurement package for Israeli-made defense systems on Thursday as part of the planned "Achilles Shield" air and missile defense shield.
The program includes Rafael's Spyder All-in-One and David's Sling systems, as well as the Barak MX system developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), as previously reported.
Well-informed sources told the Kathimerini newspaper that the Governmental Council for Foreign Affairs and Defense (KYSEA) is also expected to approve the purchase of V-BAT unmanned systems for the army's surveillance operations, Heron unmanned aircraft for the air force, Victa submarines for special operations units, and new C-390 Millennium transport aircraft.
The approval by KYSEA is the final official step necessary before the implementation of Greece’s largest armaments program in recent years. The initiative aims to protect critical infrastructure on the islands and the mainland from a wide range of modern threats, including ballistic missiles, air strikes, autonomous systems and cyber threats, writes Ekathimerini.
A few days after the council meeting, representatives of the Israeli SIBAT agency for defense cooperation are expected to arrive in Athens to sign the contracts prepared by the Greek General Directorate for Armaments and Defense Investments (GDDIA).