Greece and Israel on Monday signed an intergovernmental agreement for the development of an anti-aircraft, anti-ballistic missile and counter-drone shield – known as the “Achilles Shield” – featuring a comprehensive and integrated command-and-control system. The agreement was signed in Tel Aviv between Greece’s Ministry of National Defence and the Israeli side.
According to an official announcement by the Greek defence ministry, Greece’s side of the agreement, which provides for the immediate launch of the programme’s implementation, was signed by Lieutenant General Ioannis Bouras, Director General for Defence Investments and Armaments. On the Israeli side, the agreement was signed by Director General of the Israeli Ministry of Defence Amir Baram, the head of the Israeli ministry’s International Defence Cooperation Directorate (SIBAT) Yair Kulas, the head of its Directorate of Defence Research and Development Daniel Gold, the head of the Israel Missile Defence Organisation Moshe Patel, Rafael CEO Yoav Tourgeman, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) CEO Guy Barlev, and other officials.
According to the Greek defence ministry, the programme’s total budget amounts to € 3.035 billion. Its implementation provides for broad participation by Greece’s defence and technology ecosystem, with 19 Greek companies already involved in the relevant procedures. Their share exceeds 25%, specifically amounting to € 750 million. At the same time, the programme envisages the creation of a production base in Greece with export potential.
The Greek ‘dome’ is a central component of the “Agenda 2030” reform. Defence Minister Nikos Dendias stressed the need for the reform, saying: “We are living in an era of radical change. Modern conflicts have already transformed the parameters of military defence and deterrence.
“Technology, ballistic missiles, satellite communications, unmanned systems, cyber threats, hybrid forms of warfare and the interconnection of operational domains have long rendered the existing doctrines of defence completely outdated,” Dendias said.
With this in mind, he added, Greece is proceeding with a comprehensive and fundamental reform of the Armed Forces, with full awareness and understanding of the dysfunctions and entrenched practices of the past.
“Greece is the first European Union country to adopt a similar system. Rapidly changing everything is an essential condition for national survival in the face of revisionism and the ever-expanding threat,” Dendias concluded.
