An approximately €3 billion deal: Israel and Greece have signed the massive “Achilles Shield” agreement, under which Israel will build Greece a multi-layered air defense array based on Israeli systems architecture – including David’s Sling and SPYDER, manufactured by Rafael, and the BARAK MX system, manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).
This 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.
Director General of the Israel Ministry of Defense (IMOD), Maj. Gen. (Res.) Amir Baram, and his Greek counterpart, Ioannis Bouras, signed an approximately €3 billion defense export agreement today (Monday) in a ceremony at the IMOD’s headquarters. 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 ceremony was attended by the Head of the Directorate of International Defense Cooperation (SIBAT), Brig. Gen. (Res.) Yair Kulas; the Head of the Directorate of Defense Research and Development (DDR&D), Brig. Gen. (Res.) Dr. Daniel Gold; the Head of the Israeli Missile Defense Organization within the DDR&D, Moshe Patel; Rafael CEO Yoav Tourgeman; IAI CEO Guy Barlev; and other senior officials.
The program, known in Greece as “Achilles Shield,” is one of the largest defense deals in the country’s history. This marks the first time the IMOD will supply a complete defense array against a wide range of threats – from ballistic missiles and aerial threats to hostile unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
The “Achilles Shield” deal includes:
- The David’s Sling system, developed by the Israeli Missile Defense Organization within the Ministry’s DDR&D, with Rafael as prime developer
- The BARAK MX system, manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI)
- The SPYDER system, manufactured by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems
- MMR multi-mission radars for air surveillance, manufactured by ELTA Systems, a subsidiary of IAI
- A new national command and control system, which will consolidate the full range of air defense capabilities, and will be developed by Rafael
In addition, a supplementary deal valued at €26 million was signed during the meeting for the sale of Rafael’s Drone Dome systems, to defend strategic sites against UAVs and drones and to reinforce existing defenses.
Furthermore, as part of ongoing dialogue with the Hellenic Republic Ministry of National Defence, and as part of the Government-to-Government (G2G) activity between the two ministries, Israel will expand industrial defense cooperation with Greece, including the transfer of knowledge and technology to the local industry.
This project marks another milestone in defense cooperation between Israel and Greece, a key strategic partner in the Eastern Mediterranean. Greece’s choice of Israeli technology as the backbone of its most ambitious air defense buildup program in the past decade reflects the depth of trust built between the two countries.
This is yet another expression of the comprehensive reform within the Ministry of Defense’s strategy, led by Minister of Defense Israel Katz and Director General of the Ministry of Defense, Maj. Gen. (Res.) Amir Baram, to expand defense exports as a central tool for strengthening the IDF’s force buildup, influencing Israel’s foreign policy standing worldwide, and bolstering the Israeli defense industry and economy.
Since the outbreak of the war, the Ministry and the defense industries have been operating under an emergency framework that combines production for the IDF with continued supply to partner countries abroad. The operational successes of Israeli systems on the battlefield continue to reinforce global demand for Israeli defense tech.
