In what seems to be the largest-ever protection export deal, Israel has agreed to construct a multilayered air-defense community for Greece as the 2 international locations deepen protection cooperation amid rising tensions with Turkey.
The deal, price US$3.6 billion, would be the largest protection export deal in Israel’s historical past.
“That is the biggest protection export deal within the historical past of Israel-Greece relations, and one of many largest within the historical past of the State of Israel,” Israel’s Protection Ministry wrote in a statement.
Greece’s multilayered built-in air protection system will likely be known as the “Achilles Defend,” combining Israel’s David’s Sling, BARAK MX, and SPYDER interceptors with Israeli-made radars and a nationwide command system designed to counter ballistic missiles, plane, heavy rockets, and drones.
Rafael manufactures David’s Sling and SPYDER, and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) manufactures the BARAK MX system. The deal additionally consists of MMR multi-mission radars for air surveillance, manufactured by ELTA Methods, an IAI subsidiary.
Israel may also construct a brand new nationwide command-and-control system, developed by Rafael, that can consolidate the total vary of air protection capabilities. The command-and-control (C2) system will likely be just like the system utilized in Israel. It’s going to additionally incorporate synthetic intelligence capabilities.
The C2 community is designed to mix knowledge from current Greek sensors and radars with NATO-standard info from Greek F-16s and F-35s, which will likely be fed into the Achilles Defend system.
As well as, a supplementary deal valued at €26 million (US$30.17 million) was signed throughout the assembly for the sale of Rafael’s Drone Dome methods to defend strategic websites in opposition to UAVs and drones and to bolster current defenses.
Subsequently, many of the funds from the deal will go to Rafael.
Greek firms are anticipated to obtain about €750 million (US$ 870 million) of the deal’s whole worth as subcontractors for Rafael and IAI. Greece’s defense ministry stated that 19 Greek firms are already concerned within the mission.
Protection Minister Nikos Dendias stated Greece would turn into the primary nation within the European Union to undertake such a multilayered air-defense system.
David’s Sling is a Medium- to Lengthy-Vary air and missile protection system. It makes use of the two-stage Stunner hit-to-kill interceptors. David’s Sling is designed to intercept tactical ballistic missiles, giant rockets, cruise missiles, and plane at ranges of roughly 40–300 km.
Operational since 2017, David’s Sling sits between Israel’s Iron Dome (short-range) and Arrow (long-range/ballistic) multilayered missile-defense structure.
Barak MX is a land- and naval air-defense system that makes use of a household of vertically launched interceptors with energetic radar seekers, starting from 15 to 150 km. It’s efficient in opposition to plane, drones, cruise missiles, and a few ballistic threats.
In the meantime, Spyder is a cellular short-to-medium-range system that fires tailored air-to-air missiles – Python-5 (infrared) and Derby/I-Derby ER with energetic radar. It has a spread of 15-40 km, is extremely cellular, and is used to defend high-value targets.
In line with the Jerusalem Put up, SPYDER batteries will likely be deployed on Greek islands, together with well-liked trip locations visited by many Israelis.
The Spyder AD system has been bought to a number of international locations, together with India, the Czech Republic, Vietnam, Singapore, and others.
‘Achilles Shield‘ is a part of Greece’s huge US$27 billion protection splurge below the “Agenda 2030” reform, and it goals to offer safety on 5 ranges – anti-missile, anti-ballistic, anti-aircraft, anti-ship, anti-submarine, and anti-drone.
Notably, Greece is already a significant buyer of Israeli protection methods.
Greece-Israel Protection Partnership
Greece and Israel have strengthened their protection partnership in recent times.
Notably, Israel, Greece, and Cyprus, all three of which have adversarial relations with Turkey, have strengthened protection cooperation amongst themselves.
In January, Greece and Israel agreed to develop cooperation on drone and underwater-vehicle swarms, cyber threats, navy workouts, and protection know-how.
In April, Greece purchased PULS rocket artillery, manufactured by Elbit, able to firing precision rockets as much as 300 km. The system is corresponding to American HIMARS.
Each are truck-mounted, extremely cellular multiple-launch rocket methods (MLRS) designed for quick, exact long-range artillery strikes.
Greece has additionally purchased Spike missiles (Rafael), Heron UAVs (IAI), SPICE precision-guided bombs (Rafael), and Rampage missiles (Elbit Methods and IAI).
Cyprus has additionally reportedly bought Israel’s Barak MX system to defend its airspace.
In September final 12 months, the EurAsian Times reported that Israel has deployed a Barak MX system in Cyprus.
Collectively, these international locations are creating a brand new axis within the Mediterranean to counter Turkey’s rising regional ambitions. Turkey, in the meantime, has not too long ago signed the Mecca pact with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, which features a NATO-style mutual protection settlement.
Greece and Israel are additionally a part of the formidable India-Center East-Europe Hall (IMEC), which seeks to attach India, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Greece, and Europe.
By the way, Turkey opposes this hall as a result of it sidelines Ankara, which believes no Mediterranean commerce route is feasible with out its involvement.
Greece and Turkey share historic territorial disputes and have fought a warfare over Cyprus in 1974. Greece and Turkey even have important disputes associated to fuel exploration within the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean.
Greece’s new built-in air-defense community is an issue for Turkey, which already trails Greece and Israel within the air: Israel flies the F-35, Athens has ordered it, and Ankara nonetheless doesn’t have it.
The huge deal is one other victory for Israeli air protection methods, which aren’t solely battle-tested however have additionally gained main offers throughout Europe in recent times.
The Rise of Israeli Air Protection Methods in Europe
Three of the biggest protection export offers in Israeli historical past have all been for air-defense methods.
In 2023, Israel signed a take care of Germany to promote the Arrow 3 missile protection system to Berlin for US$3.5 billion.
In June this 12 months, Israel’s Rafael Superior Protection Methods (RADS) signed a landmark settlement with Romania price roughly 2 billion euros (US$2.3 billion) to provide the Spyder air protection methods.
Along with the take care of Greece (US$3.5 billion) for an built-in air protection community, these are the three largest export offers in Israel’s historical past.
Israel additionally signed a 2023 take care of Finland price US$345 million to provide the David’s Sling air protection system.
Once more, in 2024, Israel signed a US$583 million take care of Slovakia to provide the Barak MX air protection system.
In December, 2024, Cyprus took supply of the Barak MX air protection system, able to intercepting threats as much as 150 kilometers (95 miles) away.
In the meantime, Switzerland has begun talks with Israeli air protection producers for a second air protection system, probably Rafael’s David’s Sling.
Nonetheless, the US is the silent third get together in most of those offers, as lots of the Israeli air protection methods, from Iron Dome to David’s Sling and Arrow 3, have been developed in shut cooperation with the US.
As an example, David’s Sling is produced collectively by Israel’s Rafael and Raytheon (now a part of RTX).
Equally, Boeing is the principal co-developer and first manufacturing accomplice for the Arrow 3 exo-atmospheric ballistic missile protection system, working alongside Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). Boeing additionally partnered in growing the Arrow 2 AD system, a precursor to the Arrow 3.
Nonetheless, these huge offers for Israeli air protection methods have helped Israel get file export orders.
In June, the EurAsian Times reported that Israel’s protection exports surged to a brand new all-time file in 2025, reaching US$19.2 billion regardless of widespread boycott calls and the exclusion of Israeli companies from a number of worldwide arms exhibitions.
In reality, Israeli protection exports had surged almost 30% in 2025.
Notably, this surge in Israeli protection exports is led by missiles, rockets, and air protection methods.
“Missile, rocket, and air protection methods continued to steer in 2025, accounting for over 1 / 4 (29%) of whole deal quantity,” based on Israel’s protection ministry. In distinction, missile, rocket, and air protection methods made up 48 p.c of offers in 2024 and 36 p.c in 2023.
A serious motive for the success of Israeli air protection methods is their fight efficiency in opposition to drones, missiles, and rockets launched by Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthis, and Iran over the past three years of warfare.
In the meantime, European international locations are attempting to strengthen their air defenses in gentle of Russia’s warfare in Ukraine and fears of a wider warfare between Russia and NATO international locations within the coming years.
Lengthy lead instances for Patriot batteries, a world scarcity of Patriot interceptors, and the decrease price of Israeli air protection methods have additionally made these methods a better promote in Europe.
- Sumit Ahlawat has over a decade of expertise in information media. He has labored with Press Belief of India, Occasions Now, Zee Information, Financial Occasions, and Microsoft Information. He holds a Grasp’s Diploma in Worldwide Media and Fashionable Historical past from the College of Sheffield, UK.
- He will be reached at ahlawat.sumit85 (at) gmail.com
