Israel and Greece Set to Sign Historic $3.6 Billion Air Defense Deal Next Monday
Israel and Greece are expected to finalize a landmark defense agreement on the upcoming Monday, involving the sale of three Israeli air defense systems to Athens for approximately 3.1 billion euros (around 3.6 billion USD). A senior Greek official confirmed the deal to Globes, following reports by the local Sky news site. The contract stipulates delivery within 35 months, with about 700 million euros allocated to Greek companies, representing roughly a quarter of the total deal. Greek firms involved include Metlon, Skitalis, EAS, PPC, EAV, Prisma, and Ionix.
The Greek National Security Council approved the deal about a month ago. The systems sold are Israel’s David’s Sling by Rafael for the upper layer, the Barak MX produced by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) for the middle layer, and Rafael’s Spyder for the lower layer. David’s Sling, known for its advanced technology and limited export history, was last sold to Finland in August 2023 for 316 million euros. It has a range of up to 300 km and can intercept cruise missiles, aircraft, and drones. The system integrates Israeli radar and command technologies developed by Elta and Elisra (Elbit Group).
This purchase reflects Greece’s urgent need to upgrade its military capabilities amid growing threats from Turkey, particularly missile and rocket attacks covering the entire country. The deal initially covers Thrace and the eastern Aegean Sea, with further contracts expected. The Barak MX system supports various interceptors with ranges from 35 km to 150 km and is already in use by the Israeli navy. The Spyder system, recently showcased to Greek Air Force leadership, offers multi-tier defense against drones, aircraft, helicopters, and short-range ballistic missiles, using Rafael’s Python and Derby missiles.
This agreement marks a historic achievement for Israel’s Ministry of Defense, following a record $19.2 billion in defense exports last year, including $10 billion in government-to-government deals. It comes shortly after Israel’s major sale of David’s Sling to Finland and the Spyder system to Romania. The largest previous Israeli defense export was the $3.5 billion sale of Arrow 3 interceptors to Germany in 2023. The deal with Greece is expected to further deepen military-industrial cooperation between the two countries.
