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Greece inks $3.5bn arms deal with Israel for ‘multi-layered’ air defenses

The Cradle | August 31, 2026

Israel and Greece signed on 31 August an air defense agreement worth $3.5 billion, which will see Tel Aviv beef up Athens’ defenses and build a “multi-layered” system for the country.

According to the Israeli War Ministry, it is the largest-ever defense export deal with Greece and one of the biggest in Israeli history.

It has been dubbed the “Achilles Shield” agreement, referencing the Greek mythological figure Achilles.

It will see Israel export several air defense systems, including its David Sling, SPYDER, and BARAK MX, the War Ministry said.

It is the “largest defense export deal in the history of Israel-Greece relations, and one of the largest in the history of the State of Israel,” the War Ministry statement added, while also declaring that this marked the first time Israel supplied another state with a “complete defense array against a wide range of threats.”

These threats include ballistic missiles and drones, according to the Israeli ministry.

The agreement was signed at the War Ministry headquarters in Tel Aviv by Ministry Director General Amir Baram and his Greek counterpart Ioannis Bouras.

“Under the deal, Israel will build Greece a comprehensive, multi-layered air defense array, drawing entirely on Israeli-made systems and on the extensive operational experience Israel’s defense establishment has gained during the war,” the Israeli War Ministry stressed.

Greece said the deal marked the “greatest reform of its armed forces in its history.”

Security and economic cooperation between Greece, Cyprus, and Israel continues to expand.

Earlier this month, the Israeli military announced a meeting between army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and his Greek counterpart, Dimitrios Choupis.

The meeting “highlights the strategic importance and relevance of the military relationship already in place between Israel and Greece,” the Israeli army announced.

A private diplomatic conference held in Athens in May laid bare Greek, Cypriot, and Israeli plans to capitalize on the Iran war by deepening their ties into a “formal strategic alignment.”

“This cooperation must deepen into a formal strategic alignment focusing on energy, infrastructure, joint defense efforts, and economic innovation – acting as a crucial pillar of stability in the region,” said Averof Neophytou, a prominent Cypriot MP and former president of the Democratic Rally of Cyprus, during that conference.

He also called on Israel to “finish the job” in Iran.

Israeli, Greek, and Cypriot ties have accelerated in recent years. According to reports from last year, the three states have considered the formation of a joint “rapid-response” military force in the eastern Mediterranean.

In late 2025, Tel Aviv, Athens, and Nicosia signed a trilateral military “action plan” for 2026, said to be aimed at confronting Turkish influence and strengthening defense cooperation.

August 31, 2026 - Posted by aletho | Aletho News | Cyprus, Greece, Israel, Zionism