Greece to sign $3.6B deal for three Israeli air defense systems

Athens is scheduled to finalize a $3.6 billion defense pact with Tel Aviv on Monday to acquire three advanced air defense systems, according to Israeli media reports. The agreement — valued at €3.1 billion — represents the largest arms export deal in Israeli history and culminates nearly three years of negotiations between the defense ministries.

A Greek delegation will travel to the Israeli capital to sign the accord with the Defense Ministry, with the contract encompassing David's Sling, Spyder, and Barak MX systems slated for integration into Athens' multi-layered Achilles Shield air defense network, the Jerusalem Post reported.

System capabilities

Israeli defense firm Rafael is poised to secure the largest portion of the contract, providing David's Sling to counter ballistic missile threats alongside the mobile Spyder system for drone defense. Israel Aerospace Industries will deliver the Barak MX system for aircraft and missile interception, according to the newspaper.

The initiative includes establishing a nationwide command-and-control network that will employ artificial intelligence to process radar and sensor data, classify threats, and coordinate appropriate interceptions. Deployment of Spyder batteries on Greek islands is anticipated as part of the layered defense architecture.

Industrial cooperation

The project will be implemented in stages spanning roughly 35 months, with 12 Greek defense firms set to receive approximately €700 million ($820 million) in work share accounting for at least 25 percent of the total value. Calcalist reported that negotiations secured Greek access to the systems' software source codes, granting Athens greater autonomy in future maintenance and upgrades.

If finalized at the reported valuation, the agreement would surpass Israel's $3.5 billion sale of the Arrow 3 missile defense system to Germany in 2023. Neither the Greek nor Israeli governments had officially confirmed the deal as of Sunday evening.