With a very “heavy” agenda and numerous defense procurement issues on the table, KYSEA is meeting today at 10:00 at the Maximos Mansion. Among the main defense procurement programs are the weapons of the famous “Achilles’ Shield,” which had not yet received formal approval, as behind-the-scenes negotiations between Greece and Israel were underway regarding the degree of participation of the Greek defense industry. Athens had made it an inviolable condition that participation of at least 25% be secured in this major program.

According to information from protothema.gr, the scope of the defense procurement programs that Defense Minister Nikos Dendias will propose, and which are expected to receive the “green light,” amounts to €4.2 billion. As competent sources point out, these programs take into account the lessons learned from recent conflicts and make the Greek Armed Forces largely invulnerable to new types of threats (e.g. drones).

The new “Dome”

A dominant position among these programs is held by the country’s air defense upgrade program, worth at least €3 billion, with the planned participation of the Greek defense industry at a rate of at least 25%. The program essentially concerns the “Dome,” which is being planned so that the country’s defenses become impenetrable against aerial threats. It involves a combination of Israeli-origin systems, which will be interconnected with a command-and-control system and the corresponding software. Competent sources emphasize that a key condition for their purchase was the transfer of the source code, which gives the Greek Armed Forces absolute control over them; that is, the Israelis will not have access to it.

The system combines the acquisition of the advanced modular Barak MX anti-aircraft and anti-missile system, David’s Sling, as well as Rafael’s Spyder systems. Combined with the upgraded F-16 Viper aircraft and the F-35s that will begin arriving in Greece from 2029, it is certain that the country’s anti-aircraft and anti-drone defense is “moving to a new level.”

The remaining defense procurement programs expected to be activated by a KYSEA decision are the following:

• Purchase of 3 new C-390 Millennium transport aircraft from Portugal
• Procurement of a system for countering swarms of unmanned aerial vehicles with electronic countermeasures
• Upgrade of MEKO-class frigates with anti-submarine systems
• Procurement of laser-guided HELLFIRE missiles for the “Apache” helicopters (AH-64)
• Microsatellite program for the Armed Forces
• 10 underwater vehicles for special operations
• HERON 1 unmanned aerial vehicle system
• 10 V-BAT vertical takeoff/landing systems
• Procurement of binocular night-vision goggles that will form part of the “Warrior’s Uniform” equipment

After the conclusion of KYSEA, and specifically at 11:30, Defense Minister Nikos Dendias is expected to provide a detailed briefing on the new defense systems that the Armed Forces will procure.