By Sumit Ahlawat
A new rivalry is brewing in the Mediterranean. Amid heightened tensions between Israel and Turkey over Syria, another Mediterranean country has planned a massive boost to its defense spending.
Greece will spend 25 billion euros (US$27 billion) in the next 12 years, in the “most drastic transformation in the history of the country’s armed forces,” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced in parliament on April 2.
“The world is changing at an unpredictable pace,” Mitsotakis said. “We are now facing a different kind of war than we were used to — at least the kind our armed forces were prepared for.”
The defense overhaul will be built around a planned air defense system called “Achilles Shield.”
Defense Minister Nikos Dendias told parliament that Greece plans to shift from traditional defense systems to a high-tech, networked strategy centered on mobile, AI-powered missile systems, drone technologies, and advanced command units.
“What we are proposing is an existential issue for the country — a complete shift in our defense approach, a total change in doctrine. We’re moving away from the traditional thinking that the Aegean is defended solely by the fleet,” Dendias said.
Greece’s Defense Splurge
Greece’s planned defense spending boost is significant as it comes after years of spending cuts by Athens to deal with the financial crisis of 2010 to 2018.
The country is also one of the few NATO members, along with Poland, Estonia, and Latvia, that already spends over 3 % of their GDP on defense.
However, the Greek financial crisis (2010-2018) forced Athens to drastically reduce its social security schemes and defense spending.
In 2009, Greece spent US$10.6 billion on defense, which was 3.22 % of its GDP. However, by 2015, Greece’s defense spending had been cut by more than half. In 2015, Greece spent merely US$4.82 billion on defense, which was 2.46 % of its GDP.
Though historical territorial disputes with Turkey in the Aegean Sea, and Ankara’s increasing assertiveness in the Mediterranean meant that Athens could not ignore its defense for long.
Now, Greece has announced a 12-year rearmament program worth US$ 27 billion.
Achilles’ Shield
This is the most significant program under Greece’s ambitious rearmament program. It includes a multi-layered defense system called “Shield of Achilles,” which aims to provide protection on five levels – anti-missile, anti-ballistic, anti-aircraft, anti-ship, anti-submarine, and anti-drone.
This ambitious system, projected at around 2.8 billion euros (US$3 billion), is expected to be operational by 2027.
Greek media reports suggest Athens is negotiating with Israel to acquire the defensive dome. Notably, the prime minister mentioned Israel as a strategic partner in enhancing anti-missile capabilities during his speech in the parliament.
He said Greece has the Patriot system, but current demand may free up resources for a new system in four to five years.
“Greece already possesses American Patriot systems. If we were to purchase new ones, the wait time would be four to five years due to production constraints. European capabilities are limited. Israel, with which we share a strategic alliance, may provide these capabilities sooner,” Mitsotakis explained.
Apart from Israel, France, Italy, and Norway have also been mentioned as potential suppliers of new weapons systems that could be integrated into the shield.
According to Neos Kosmos, a local Greek media outlet, Greece is actively considering the Israeli-made BARAK (Lightning) air defense system to replace its ageing Soviet-era S-300s.
The BARAK system is a short-range surface-to-air missile designed for ship-borne point-defense, providing protection against aircraft, anti-ship missiles, and UAVs.
Germany and Finland are among the other European countries that have Israeli air defense systems on order.
However, according to local media reports, Greek companies will also be involved in the “Achilles’ Shield” project, although the extent of their involvement is not yet fully clear.
Last week, Defence Minister Nikos Dendias said that from now on, any contract for armament programs concluded with companies from abroad must provide for 25% Greek participation.
Dendias emphasized that this overhaul represents a “complete shift” in Greece’s defense approach.
“With ‘Achilles’ Shield,’ we’re implementing a comprehensive, multi-layered defense across our entire territory. This new approach leverages a sophisticated yet cost-effective network of concealed and AI-driven missile systems, under unified ‘command and control,’ to counter threats from missiles, aircraft, drones, surface vessels, and submarines.”
The name “Achilles’ Shield” clearly refers to the legendary shield described in Homer’s Iliad.
Turkey Is Bringing Israel and Greece closer
The Mediterranean and West Asian geopolitics is undergoing significant upheaval. The Israel-Gaza war, Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, the possibility of a major war with Iran, and increasing hostility between Israel and Turkey over influence in Syria have converted the already volatile region into a tinderbox.
Add to this Turkey’s rising ambitions for a key role in European security architecture following the peace talks to end the Russia-Ukraine war. In the post-war European security architecture, Turkey sees itself as a key player due to its strategic geopolitical location in the Mediterranean and at the edge of the Black Sea and its NATO membership.
Turkey also has the largest standing army in NATO after the US and in Europe after Russia and Ukraine.
After years of no movement, Turkey has once again revived its European Union membership bid, which has already received vocal support from Poland.
Turkey’s rising influence in Europe on the one side, and in Syria and broader West Asia on the other, has made Greece and Israel nervous.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan lashed out at Israel on Sunday during a speech after the end of Ramadan prayers.
“We experienced a wonderful Ramadan. Of course, we know and see what is happening in Israel. May God destroy, destroy Zionist Israel”, Erdoğan said.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar replied immediately: “Dictator Erdoğan has revealed his anti-Semitic face. He is dangerous for the region, but also for his own people, as has been proven in recent days.”
After Palestine, Israel, and Turkey are on opposite sides of the fence in Syria as well, where there is an Ankara-supported government in Damascus, and Israel has occupied and increased its sphere of influence in southern Syria.
On April 3, Erdogan Ally and former Deputy PM Devlet Bahçeli said that “Those who threaten Syria and set their eyes on Damascus will get the OTTOMAN SLAP in TelAviv and Jerusalem!”
On Wednesday, Israel launched air strikes in Damascus, and later in the evening, an Israeli convoy was ambushed in Southern Syria near Dara’a.
Similarly, Greece and Turkey share historical territorial disputes and have fought a war over Cyprus in 1974.
Tensions with Turkey are bringing Israel and Greece closer.
Earlier this week, Mitsotakis met with his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, in Tel Aviv. The two leaders reportedly discussed the Great Sea Interconnector, an undersea power cable that aims to connect Greece, Cyprus, and Israel.
Greece and Israel are also part of the ambitious India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC), which seeks to connect India, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Greece, and Europe.
Incidentally, Turkey is opposed to this corridor as it sidelines Ankara, which thinks no Mediterranean trade route is possible without its involvement.
Greece and Turkey also have significant disputes related to gas exploration in the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean. These disputes have pushed Athens to boost its defense spending, invest in cutting-edge air defense systems, and build alliances with countries having a troubled relationship with Turkey, like Israel and India.
In fact, the Indian Air Force just participated in the Iniochos-25, an annual multinational air exercise conducted by the Hellenic Air Force.
Greece’s latest defense splurge and deepening alliances with countries like India and Israel will certainly make Turkey nervous.
- Sumit Ahlawat has over a decade of experience in news media. He has worked with Press Trust of India, Times Now, Zee News, Economic Times, and Microsoft News. He holds a Master’s Degree in International Media and Modern History from The University of Sheffield, UK.
- He can be reached at ahlawat.sumit85 (at) gmail.com
