Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias announced that Athens approved a comprehensive arms deal with Israel worth approximately €3.5 billion, according to N12's Asaf Rozentzweig. The deal is expected to include multi-layered air defense systems: Rafael's David's Sling and IAI's Barak.
Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias confirmed on Thursday that Athens has approved a comprehensive air defense deal with Israel worth approximately €3.5 billion, including Rafael's David's Sling and IAI's Barak systems. The confirmation follows the National Security Council's approval reported by Reuters on Wednesday and adds system-specific details not previously officially confirmed.
At 13:55 Jerusalem on Wednesday, The Zioneer reported (citing Reuters) that Greece's National Security Council had approved a $4 billion air defense deal, with the system expected to be operational within 35 months and Greek companies producing at least 25% of the components. Earlier Wednesday reports had indicated the expected approval of a €3 billion "Achilles Shield" package including the SPYDER, David's Sling, and Barak MX systems, with integration into Greek F-35s, F-16s, and frigates. The thread shows the evolution from unconfirmed reports to official approval to ministerial confirmation.
The deal is the latest in a series of Israeli air defense exports. As The Zioneer reported, Romania signed a deal for the SPYDER system valued at over €2 billion (June 28), and Switzerland opened negotiations for David's Sling (June 25). Greece had also advanced procurement of armed drone capabilities from Israel (June 11). The deepening defense ties between Greece and Israel come amid heightened Aegean tensions with Turkey.
The defense minister's statement did not address the value discrepancy between the earlier $4 billion figure and the €3.5 billion (approximately $3.9 billion) announced, nor did it confirm the inclusion of the SPYDER system mentioned in previous reports. The timeline for full operational capability and the role of Greek industrial partners remain to be detailed.
8 developments
Source and signal
- Internal intake