A delegation led by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met yesterday with senior officials from the Directorate of International Defense Cooperation (SIBAT) and the Directorate of Defense Research and Development (DDR&D) of the Israeli Ministry of Defense, as well as the CEOs of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, and the Executive Vice President of Strategy and Business Development at Elbit Systems. The high-level meeting marked a significant step in deepening the defense partnership between Greece and Israel amid rising regional tensions.
During the discussions, both parties reviewed the strong existing cooperation between the two nations and explored avenues for its further expansion. A key focus was the establishment of an Anti-Access/Area Denial (A2/AD) zone in the Greek islands, aimed at countering potential threats from Turkey in the Aegean Sea.
This strategic initiative will leverage Israel’s advanced defense technologies and expertise to enhance Greece’s deterrence capabilities in the region. Additionally, the talks emphasized opportunities for partnerships and co-production, with a strong emphasis on technological innovation, research, and the acquisition of strategic defense systems to bolster Greece’s military posture.
As part of this enhanced collaboration, Greece announced plans to procure several advanced Israeli defense systems, including the BARAK air-defense system, SPIKE NLOS (Non-Line-of-Sight), Orbiter-3 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and RAMPAGE long-range missiles. These acquisitions are expected to significantly strengthen Greece’s defense capabilities, particularly in air defense, precision strikes, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations.
The BARAK system will enhance Greece’s ability to counter aerial threats, while the SPIKE NLOS and RAMPAGE missiles will provide advanced anti-armor and long-range strike options. The Orbiter-3 UAVs will further improve Greece’s situational awareness in the Aegean, combined with HERON UAV.
