Greece Buys $3.5B Israeli Air Defense Shield

Greece is buying a full Israeli-built air defense system, signing a deal worth about €3 billion — roughly $3.48 billion — with Israel on Monday, Israel's Defense Ministry said.

Israel will build Greece "a comprehensive, multi-layered air defense array, drawing entirely on Israeli-made systems," the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry called it "the largest defense export deal in the history of Israel-Greece relations, and one of the largest in the history of the State of Israel."

The Jerusalem Post reported the agreement, valued at more than NIS 10 billion, will become the largest defense export deal in Israel's history and is aimed at threats from Turkey and Iran.

What Greece Is Getting

The package is called "Achilles Shield." Israel is exporting several systems under it, including David's Sling and SPYDER, made by Rafael, and BARAK MX, made by Israel Aerospace Industries, the Times of Israel reported.

Israel's Defense Ministry said the systems draw on the "extensive operational experience Israel's defense establishment has gained during the war" — an apparent reference to its conflict with Iran, Deutsche Welle reported.

The purchase is one piece of a larger Greek military modernization program, Reuters reported, citing officials. Greece plans to spend some €28 billion by 2036 on the anti-ballistic missile, anti-aircraft and anti-drone shield, a program that also includes fighter jets from the United States and warships from France and Italy.

Greece today fields a mix of US-made Patriot missiles, Russian S-300 systems and assorted short-range air defenses.