The Turkish Bayraktar TB2 might have dominated the news headlines in the early stage of the war in Ukraine, giving the Greek military pause for thought, but since then the news of their success on the Ukrainian front has gone quiet.
This in combination with Greek drones making a resounding “presence” over the skies of the Aegean as of recently, has led to the first “skirmishes” over the islands.
The Greek response to Turkish drones is already in full swing over the Aegean, making it clear that the Turks will not be acting unchallenged in this new kind of threat and disputing Greek national sovereignty.
The Israeli Herons, which the Greek side has acquired are already flying over the Aegean and the Ionian seas and sending images and information directly to the Hellenic National Defence General Staff (HNDGS), the Coast Guard, and Frontex.
The Herons fly at an altitude of 13,000 feet and have an autonomy of 16 hours, while they are equipped with the most modern recording and surveillance systems.
In fact, a few days ago there was also the first “close” encounter between a Greek Heron and a Turkish Bayraktar, which were quite close to each other somewhere between Chios and Mytilene.
However, it is not only the Israeli Herons that are changing the balance of drone power in the Aegean. The acquisition of three American MQ-9B Sea Guardians is also in the works, the cost of which has been estimated at around 400 million euros.
In this case, we are talking about a sophisticated weapon system, as this UAV is not only limited to surveillance but can also carry modern weapons, missiles, and bombs against ground targets.
These drones are among the most advanced in the world, as they can fly up to 1,900 kilometers for 40 hours and at a height of 15,000 feet.
Their speeds reach up to 480 km/h (Bayraktars do not exceed 220 km/h) and they can carry a load of up to 2 tons.
In any case, the Greek side seems to be on the alert for a response to the changing aerial battle set by the drones and the numerical – and not only – dominance of the Turks in this area.
Given that the Turks are now testing a jet engine drone with air combat capabilities, the Kızılelma, it is obvious that Greece will have to further accelerate its own programme to acquire such modern defence “tools”.
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