Greece Signs $3.4 Billion Israeli Air Defense Deal for David's Sling, Barak MX and SPYDER
Greece's new Achilles' Shield program will field David's Sling, Barak MX and SPYDER interceptors alongside IAI radars under a roughly €3 billion agreement signed with Israel's Ministry of Defense on August 31, with the systems due to be in place by 2029.
Greece signed a roughly €3 billion agreement on August 31 for an Israeli-built, multi-layered air defense package, to be fielded under a national program named "Achilles' Shield". The deal was concluded between the Ministry of Defense of Israel and the Greek Ministry of National Defence after three years of negotiations, according to Al Jazeera.
The package is supplied by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, and combines interceptor systems across several range brackets with new sensors:
- David's Sling, Rafael's medium-to-long-range interceptor system;
- Barak MX, IAI's air defense system built around the Barak family of interceptors;
- SPYDER, Rafael's short-range system;
- MMR radars from IAI's ELTA subsidiary.
Breaking Defense put the value of the agreement at about $3.4 billion, while Al Jazeera reported a figure of $3.5 billion. Al Jazeera also reported a separate contract worth about $30 million for Rafael's Drone Dome counter-drone system.
Israel's Ministry of Defense described the package as one of the largest defense export agreements in the country's history, Al Jazeera reported. According to Breaking Defense, the deal includes technology transfer to Greek industry.
Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias said the new systems will be integrated with "ships, aircraft, land assets, autonomous systems, new satellites... into a single network-centric architecture," Breaking Defense reported.
The purchase adds a ground-based layer to an air arm that already operates a substantial fighter force. According to GlobalMilitary.net's inventory of the Hellenic Air Force, Greece flies 152 F-16 Fighting Falcon fighters, of which 56 have been upgraded to the F-16V standard, along with 24 Rafale and 24 Mirage 2000-5/Mk II combat aircraft. Airborne surveillance is provided by four EMB-145H Erieye early-warning aircraft, while on the ground the Greek Army fields 590 self-propelled guns.
Greece spends about 3.5 percent of its GDP on defense, a higher share than most NATO members, Al Jazeera noted. The agreement also extends the export record of the Israeli systems in Europe: Al Jazeera reported that Finland was previously the first EU member state to buy David's Sling.
According to Al Jazeera, the systems acquired under Achilles' Shield are to be set up by 2029.
More News
All news →
US Navy accepts first C-130J-30 airframe for E-130J Phoenix II TACAMO aircraft
The US Navy took delivery of a newly built Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 Super Hercules at Marietta, Georgia, on Oct. 15, the first of three airframes to be converted into E-130J Phoenix II aircraft that will replace the E-6B Mercury in the nuclear communications relay mission.
F-22 Pilot Takes In-Flight Command of an Anduril YFQ-44A Fury Drone
The U.S. Air Force said on October 16, 2026 that an F-22 Raptor pilot had taken airborne tactical command of an Anduril YFQ-44A Collaborative Combat Aircraft earlier this month; previous F-22 control tests had used a surrogate drone.
Bell UH-1 Huey Still Flies With 39 Countries 70 Years After Its First Flight
The XH-40 prototype of Bell's Huey first flew on 20 October 1956 at Fort Worth; 70 years on, GlobalMilitary.net inventory data counts 844 single-engine UH-1s active in 39 countries, 438 twin-engine UH-1N and Bell 212 derivatives in 29, and 167 UH-1Y Venoms in two.
France Rolls Out Rubis, Fifth Suffren-Class Attack Submarine, as One 1980s Boat Remains in Service
France's procurement agency, the DGA, said on October 16 that Rubis, the fifth Suffren-class nuclear attack submarine, had begun its move from Naval Group's construction hall at Cherbourg to the launch system, with trials and delivery to the French Navy still ahead and no dates given.
Sweden Signs Lease of Submarine Södermanland to Poland as Bridge to Its A26 Boats
Sweden's Defence Materiel Administration and the Swedish Armed Forces have signed contracts under Poland's Orka program to train Polish submarine crews and lease the AIP-equipped submarine HMS Södermanland to the Polish Navy until 2032, the Swedish Navy announced on October 12.
US Army Takes Delivery of First XM1776, Hanwha's Wheeled K9-Based Howitzer to Replace M777 in Select Units
The US Army has accepted the first prototype of its Mobile Tactical Cannon, a wheeled 155 mm howitzer derived from Hanwha's K9, and named it the XM1776 at the AUSA annual meeting in Washington on October 12, 2026, less than a year after issuing the solicitation.