ATHENS (Reuters) -Greece is in talks with Israel to purchase fashionable missile methods that may be used for a deliberate anti-aircraft defence dome, two officers with data of the plan informed Reuters.
Athens has stated it’s going to spend about 28 billion euros ($33 billion) by 2036 to modernise its armed forces because it emerges from a 2009-2018 debt disaster and tries to maintain tempo with its historic rival Turkey.
About 3 billion euros shall be used to create a multi-layer anti-aircraft and anti-drone system, known as the “Achilles Protect”. It additionally plans to purchase new stealth fighter jets, frigates and submarines from the U.S. and Europe.
“We need to purchase 36 PULS artillery methods and anti-aircraft methods for ‘Achilles Protect’. The negotiations with Israel will intensify subsequent month,” one of many officers stated, including that Greek firms would offer about 25% of the mission.
The price of 36 PULS rocket artillery methods, made by Israel’s Elbit, is estimated at 650 million euros, the official stated, including that they might be used to guard Greece’s japanese borders with Turkey.
Greece and Israel have sturdy financial and diplomatic ties. They’ve launched a number of joint workout routines lately and so they function an air coaching centre in southern Greece.
A second Greek official confirmed that negotiations have been underway.
Israel’s defence ministry didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
Greece, which additionally makes use of U.S.-made Patriot anti-aircraft defence methods, desires to switch its older Russian-made OSA, TOR-M1 and S-300.
In 2024, Greece expressed an curiosity in shopping for anti-aircraft and fashionable artillery methods from Israel, however Israel’s navy operations in Gaza postponed the discussions, the second official stated.
($1 = 0.8575 euros)
(Reporting by Lefteris Papadimas. Further reporting by Magid Pesha. Enhancing by Mark Potter)