"An important link in the reform of the Armed Forces and an imperative response to the geopolitical and technological challenges of our time," Greek Minister of National Defense Nikos Dendias said as Israel and Greece signed a $3.4 billion (€3 billion) deal at the Israel Ministry of Defense headquarters in Tel Aviv—an agreement Greece calls Achilles’ Shield.
What Achilles’ Shield is built to do
The Israel Ministry of Defense described the package as the first time it will supply "a complete defense array to combat a range of threats, from ballistic missiles to small drones." The ministry said 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."
Dendias framed the system as more than a collection of radars and interceptors: "Ships, aircraft, land assets, autonomous systems, new satellites, and more generally, every platform equipped with sensors, are integrated into a single network-centric architecture," he said, adding Achilles’ Shield will be "a holistic deterrence system."
Systems named in the agreement
- David’s Sling — developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems with U.S. support; the system recorded its first combat interception in 2023 and has been sold to Finland.
- Barak MX — an Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) system, described in the deal and noted as having been sold to a number of international customers.
- Spyder — a Rafael air defense system included in the package; Romania acquired Spyder in a multi-billion-dollar deal in June.
- MMR radars — made by IAI’s subsidiary Elta; the report notes that the Czech Republic and Slovakia both use similar Israeli-made radars.
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See what we buildIndustrial cooperation, transfers and prior ties to Greece
The Israel Ministry of Defense called this the largest deal in the history of Israel-Greece defense sales and said it "will expand industrial defense cooperation with Greece, including the transfer of knowledge and technology to the local industry." Israeli firms have previously won major contracts in Greece, including Elbit Systems's development of an International Flight Training Center in Kalamata.
The source also states that defense cooperation between the two countries, including joint exercises, "has increased in recent years as Israel sees Greece as a strategic partner in the Eastern Mediterranean."
Production capacity, stockpiles and operational claims
Major. Gen. Amir Baram, director-general of the Israeli Ministry of Defense, framed the agreement as part of a deliberate policy: "It’s a direct application of the Ministry’s strategy: growing defense exports as a key driver of IDF force buildup, of Israel’s foreign policy influence, and of a stronger national defense industry and economy." Baram said the deal will also drive expansion of Israel’s production lines and help build up stockpiles, which the ministry said have been stressed for Western nations amid the Ukraine and Iran wars.
IAI Chairman Boaz Levy said his firm had spent recent years "deepening its activity in Greece, working alongside local partners and deploying some of the most advanced technologies in the world." Levy added that "IAI’s operational air defense systems proved their capabilities in the recent fighting against Iran and its proxies, successfully intercepting a range of threats, chief among them exo-atmospheric ballistic missiles."
The report also notes IAI’s other large European sale: its Arrow air defense system was sold to Germany in a $6.5 billion deal.
How Greece, Israel, and European customers stand to respond
- Greece — The Greek defense ministry has characterized Achilles’ Shield as an instrument in armed forces reform and a "holistic deterrence system" that will integrate platforms across sea, air, land and space into a single architecture; Greece will receive the transfer of hardware and, per the Israel Ministry of Defense, knowledge and technology to local industry.
- Israel and Israeli industry — The ministry and Major Gen. Baram present the deal as part of a strategy to grow defense exports to support force buildup, influence and domestic industry; the agreement is expected to expand production lines and stockpiles.
- European buyers and operators — The deal continues a pattern of Israeli systems entering European arsenals: David’s Sling has been sold to Finland, similar Elta radars are used by the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Romania recently bought Spyder, and Germany purchased Arrow in a separate deal.
The signed agreement packages a suite of Israeli systems into what both governments describe as a networked, multi-layered array and ties procurement to industrial cooperation. The recorded claims about combat performance and the intended technology transfers set clear expectations on both capability and supply-chain implications; the next measurable steps will be delivery timelines, local production arrangements, and the degree to which the promised knowledge-transfer is implemented.
