Greece Worries Over Turkey's Mobile Missiles, Eyes Israeli Defense Systems

Greece is closely monitoring Turkey's development of mobile missile systems, with Athens assessing the growing capabilities of these weapons and their potential use against fixed targets in a conflict scenario. A Greek analysis suggests that the mobility and range of these Turkish missiles could enable a "first strike" capability.

Potential targets identified in the analysis include Greek Air Force bases on islands and in the mainland, the naval base at Souda Bay in Crete, and energy facilities in the Eastern Mediterranean. In response, Greece is enhancing its multi-layered defense strategy. This includes bolstering air and missile defense systems, upgrading Patriot PAC-3 batteries, and evaluating additional ballistic missile interceptors.

As part of its "Achilles Shield" defense program, Greece is considering integrating Israeli systems like Arrow 3 and David's Sling, known for their advanced anti-missile capabilities. The Greek Navy, particularly its FDI Belharra frigates equipped with Aster 30 missiles, forms a second layer of defense, providing regional air defense in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Concurrently, Greece's defense industry is developing unmanned systems, including drones and loitering munitions. These systems could be employed to detect and target mobile missile launchers, offering an additional layer of defense against Turkey's mobile missile threat. This ongoing military and strategic competition between Greece and Turkey in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean highlights missile and air defense capabilities as a key area of an arms race.