Israel likely partner for Greece as it looks for integrated air defense systems

JERUSALEM — Greece is kicking the tires on Israeli-made air defense systems, as the NATO nation seeks to build a multi-layered air defense system capable of countering both enemy jets and low-level drones, sources confirm to Breaking Defense.

News of Greece’s interest was first reported by Reuters, with the Greek daily Ekathimerini reporting that the multi-layered systems could surpass $2 billion in cost. “The defenses would likely mimic Israel’s Iron Dome and other systems that intercept short- and long-range missiles launched during strikes from its neighbors amid the ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon,” per Ekathimerini.

A pair of sources told Breaking Defense that Greece is in the fact-finding process of what systems Israeli might be willing to sell, and while it appears Athens plans to cast a wide net as it looks for options, the two are a clear match: Israel, which has grown closer to Greece in recent years, already possesses a multi-layered air defense system, all parts of which are in varying states of being sold or used by other countries.

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems makes the short-range Iron Dome system, used primarily against rockets and small drones; that system is soon to incorporate laser air defenses as well. Rafael also makes the medium-range system David’s Sling, which was jointly developed with the US and has been sold to Finland, as well as the Spyder, which can defend against aircraft and other threats.

IAI makes Arrow, an exoatmospheric defense system jointly developed with the US which has been sold to Germany, as well as the Barak air defense system. IAI’s Elta also makes the air defense radars used with Iron Dome, radars that have been sold to Czech Republic and Slovakia.

The initial Reuters report came after a closed door briefing in Israel with Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias, who has emerged as a key figure in advancing Israel’s closer ties with Athens.

A former foreign minister for Greece, Dendias visited Israel in August 2023 and met with then-Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. “We discussed the important achievements of our Strategic Defence Relationship and expressed our wish to further broaden it,” he wrote on social media. He highlighted the joint exercises between Israel and Greece and also said that Athens and Jerusalem had “agreed to enhance our mutually beneficial cooperation in the area of defence research and technology with the involvement of the defence industry, research institutions, and other innovation bodies.”

The Israel-Greece ties are part of a growing context of emerging partnerships in the eastern Mediterranean that also include Cyprus. This trilateral relationship is the background in which Athens’ interest in a multi-layered defense system have emerged, noted Eran Lerman, a former Israeli deputy national security advisor and now vice-president of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security.

He said he uses the term “alignment” for these ties, as opposed to “alliance,” because there aren’t agreements on the horizon involving mutual defense.

“It’s enough to generate intelligence cooperation, military training — this is essentially a triangular relationship because the Cypriots are part of this story,” Lerman said, citing two key ways the relationship with Cyprus is benefitting Israel.

The first is training in Cyprus for units such as Israeli commandos, which helps them familiarize with long-range operations in terrain similar to Lebanon. The second development is that Cyprus can be a logistical backstop if there are interruptions in trade with Israel — for instance, when flights were cancelled due to the recent war with Hamas and Hezbollah, airlines would fly to Cyprus and then Israeli jets would take them the rest of the way.

“That’s not a trivial matter when we faced the possibility of serious limitation on flights to Israel,” Lerman added.

The burgeoning ties also have roots in joint drills with Greece, where Lerman says there has been “close cooperation, particularly with the air forces.”

Israel has participated in the annual multi-national air exercise called Iniochos in Greece and the Greeks have participated in Blue Flag, a semi-annual air force drill in Israel. In addition, Israel is deliver M-346 training aircraft to Greece as part of a government-to-government deal, and Israel’s Elbit Systems is creating a flight training center in Greece.