European Defence News and Discussions

[Foinikas]

@Auqab13 I spent like an hour replying to your post and then somebody merged the thread with this one...lol

So I'll c/p what I wrote

However Israel's policy has always been to play any and all sides. I assume everyone is aware of this. A smart country would avoid such a dishonorable relationship.

No sane leadership would trust them completely. But,if we have to be realistic,that goes for every other country. We've often been left alone in peril or bled dry economically by "dear" allies and friends throughout the last 200 years. Namely Britain,France,Germany,USA and even Russia and Italy.

It doesn't bother the greeks that israel supplied Azerbaijan with weaponry against Armenia? Also their treatment of Christian Palestinians?

When it comes to Armenians,there's not really much thought about it. We're close,but not that close. Even Serbs are selling Azeris weapons now and buying Turkish UAVs. When it comes to Palestinian Christians,alas the politicians are not that interested unfortunately.

Why aren't you guys in the eastern block? Greeks are orthodox Christians, how do they feel about the fact that they have to oppose their brethren in Russia, Armenia and so on.

Good question.

First of all,this is the outcome of the Cold War. Greece ended up on the side of NATO and EU as a result of decades being surrounded by Warsaw Pact members and also having experienced a civil war against communist guerillas.

Second,there's a lot of people in Greece who don't like the Russians. They are pro-West and think that Russians never actually were our friends. On the other hand,there's a lot of people who are pro-Russian. This became more evident when the war in Ukraine started in 2022.

Third,it's a bit more complicated. Russians too are to blame for some things. For example I see many Greeks on defence sites mentioning the Orlov revolt on the comments.

Orlov revolt - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

It was an uprising in Greece,helped by the Russians in 1770. After they signed peace with the Ottomans though,they left us all alone to be slaughtered.

Next,there's been antagonizing of Moscow Patriarchate with the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. Moscow has been long trying to somehow "gain more influence" and undermine the Ecumenical Patriarchate and other Greek Orthodox Patriarchates. I don't know much about this,but some friends of mine are very informed about the subject.

Another thing is that the Russians exercise realpolitik as well. For example,they've often sided with the Turks against us the last 15 years. From selling them S-400s,to building two nuclear reactors in Turkey,to often doing nothing about Turkish provocations or even indirectly siding with them about Cyprus.

Also,remember how they left the Armenians alone in 2020(although that was political reprisals to Armenia for kicking out the pro-Russian government and letting Pashinyan take power)and doing little to protect Syria when Israel was bombing for years or even actively defend Iran this year.

Israel is trying to now be a projecting force in the world, they are trialing a client state relationship with Cyprus, and by extension they are now trying to do so with Greece. I truly think they now want to openly flex their muscles and are contending to project their hard power through out the world. Maybe a sign this parasite is about to transform.

It's not exactly like that. Nothing like a client State relationship. Cyprus is very close to them and they both see the need to cooperate right now. Remember,before 2010 Israel was extremely friendly to Turkey. They were selling them weapons and had excellent relations. They still had some sort of relation until October 2023.

Greece-Cyprus-Egypt-Israel have had problems with Erdogan's foreign policies the last 5-8 years. For several reasons:

• The EEZ delimitations between Cyprus-Israel-Egypt-Greece
• The underwater power cable connection from Israel to Cyprus to Greece to Europe
• Energy connection from Egypt to Greece and Europe
• Gas/oil exploration by Cyprus,Egypt and Greece(Libya is used by Turkey on this)
• Turkey's ambitions in Libya,which were seen as a threat by Egypt and the illegal "Turkish-Libyan memorandum" which tramples upon Greek and Egyptian EEZ
• Other cooperation initiatives between Israel-Cyprus-Egypt-Greece that don't include Turkey,infuriate Erdogan and the AKP leadership

On another note, Erdogan for years trying to join the European Union all for a lowly position in the rank of the European Union, saw an opportunity about 15 years ago to really be a strong player in the Muslim world.

Erdogan never truly wanted to join the European Union. He has nagged a lot about not being let in EU,but at the same time he has been doing everything opposite to what Europeans have asked for Turkey to do in order to be admitted into.

and Turkey is a threat to that. They seem to be using your people's animosity against Turkey, to potentially keep them in check for their own purposes.

That's another thing Muslims on PDF(and especially Turks)seem to be always getting wrong. They always think someone is using us against Turkey. That we're always "puppets". That's completely wrong. While certain politicians probably are puppets, what you guys don't understand is that whether it's France or USA or Israel backing us against Turkey at a certain moment,it's because our interests align. Israel is not using our animosity against Turkey more than we're using their current dislike of Erdogan. It's the circumstances of the last 5 years.

I have not looked too much into Turkish diplomatic relations with Greece and Cyprus, but from what I have read the since 2015, Erdogan has been trying to be more approachable to antagonistic countries like Greece, Cyprus, and Armenia. I believe reading some thing about mutual agreement related to trade and cooperation with said countries. Apart from historical and national sentiments, I don't read that Erdogan is more hateful than his CHP counterparts, or previous generations of turkish leadership. I am not sure how Turkish policy has hurt Greece in the last 10 years, I have not been following it too much, BUT

Bhai,we almost went to war again in 2020. From 2019 to early 2023,the AKP government and specifically Erdogan,Akar,Cavusoglu,Oktay,Metin and occasionaly Kalin,had been publically provoking with warmongering rhetoric and revisionist declarations.

Things calmed down in spring and summer 2023 for various reasons: The earthquake disaster in Turkey,the highpoint that Erdogan's policies had reached in creating enemies in the entire region,the inflation in Turkey's economy and the elections that were coming in Turkey and Greece. So Erdogan put on his friendly face,our morons here thought it was a good opportunity not to spend money on defence for a couple of years and Turkey slowly recuperated from all these problems as well as kept developing its weapons.

Turkey for whatever wrong it has done in the past, if any aggression takes place against Greece or Cyprus, It is now warranted. I for one have had a very indifferent view of the Orthodox Christian countries, I even opposed the recent war against Armenia, but I will now have a hard time having sympathy for Greece or Cyprus when SHTF.

Why? Because of Israel? All because of Israel?

So,I have to ask you. I suppose you're Pakistani,right? If there was another war between India and Pakistan,should one hope for Pakistan to lose,because he hates China?

One could say "China oppresses Muslims,China oppresses Thibet,China is a bully,China wants to take Taiwan,China wants to do this,that,how can Pakistan be allied with China!
How can Pakistan buy weapons from China!"

Of course Pakistanis would reply: Who else would support us against India? American weapons come with political restrictions. European companies often prefer to sell to Indians or Indians throw a fit and we can't buy anything. Who will sell us quality equipment to defend against Indian aggression? China is selling us everything we want.

That's the same thing with Greece-Cyprus-Israel right now.

 

[dani191]

@Auqab13 I spent like an hour replying to your post and then somebody merged the thread with this one...lol

So I'll c/p what I wrote


No sane leadership would trust them completely. But,if we have to be realistic,that goes for every other country. We've often been left alone in peril or bled dry economically by "dear" allies and friends throughout the last 200 years. Namely Britain,France,Germany,USA and even Russia and Italy.


When it comes to Armenians,there's not really much thought about it. We're close,but not that close. Even Serbs are selling Azeris weapons now and buying Turkish UAVs. When it comes to Palestinian Christians,alas the politicians are not that interested unfortunately.


Good question.

First of all,this is the outcome of the Cold War. Greece ended up on the side of NATO and EU as a result of decades being surrounded by Warsaw Pact members and also having experienced a civil war against communist guerillas.

Second,there's a lot of people in Greece who don't like the Russians. They are pro-West and think that Russians never actually were our friends. On the other hand,there's a lot of people who are pro-Russian. This became more evident when the war in Ukraine started in 2022.

Third,it's a bit more complicated. Russians too are to blame for some things. For example I see many Greeks on defence sites mentioning the Orlov revolt on the comments.

Orlov revolt - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

It was an uprising in Greece,helped by the Russians in 1770. After they signed peace with the Ottomans though,they left us all alone to be slaughtered.

Next,there's been antagonizing of Moscow Patriarchate with the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. Moscow has been long trying to somehow "gain more influence" and undermine the Ecumenical Patriarchate and other Greek Orthodox Patriarchates. I don't know much about this,but some friends of mine are very informed about the subject.

Another thing is that the Russians exercise realpolitik as well. For example,they've often sided with the Turks against us the last 15 years. From selling them S-400s,to building two nuclear reactors in Turkey,to often doing nothing about Turkish provocations or even indirectly siding with them about Cyprus.

Also,remember how they left the Armenians alone in 2020(although that was political reprisals to Armenia for kicking out the pro-Russian government and letting Pashinyan take power)and doing little to protect Syria when Israel was bombing for years or even actively defend Iran this year.


It's not exactly like that. Nothing like a client State relationship. Cyprus is very close to them and they both see the need to cooperate right now. Remember,before 2010 Israel was extremely friendly to Turkey. They were selling them weapons and had excellent relations. They still had some sort of relation until October 2023.

Greece-Cyprus-Egypt-Israel have had problems with Erdogan's foreign policies the last 5-8 years. For several reasons:

• The EEZ delimitations between Cyprus-Israel-Egypt-Greece
• The underwater power cable connection from Israel to Cyprus to Greece to Europe
• Energy connection from Egypt to Greece and Europe
• Gas/oil exploration by Cyprus,Egypt and Greece(Libya is used by Turkey on this)
• Turkey's ambitions in Libya,which were seen as a threat by Egypt and the illegal "Turkish-Libyan memorandum" which tramples upon Greek and Egyptian EEZ
• Other cooperation initiatives between Israel-Cyprus-Egypt-Greece that don't include Turkey,infuriate Erdogan and the AKP leadership

Erdogan never truly wanted to join the European Union. He has nagged a lot about not being let in EU,but at the same time he has been doing everything opposite to what Europeans have asked for Turkey to do in order to be admitted into.


That's another thing Muslims on PDF(and especially Turks)seem to be always getting wrong. They always think someone is using us against Turkey. That we're always "puppets". That's completely wrong. While certain politicians probably are puppets, what you guys don't understand is that whether it's France or USA or Israel backing us against Turkey at a certain moment,it's because our interests align. Israel is not using our animosity against Turkey more than we're using their current dislike of Erdogan. It's the circumstances of the last 5 years.


Bhai,we almost went to war again in 2020. From 2019 to early 2023,the AKP government and specifically Erdogan,Akar,Cavusoglu,Oktay,Metin and occasionaly Kalin,had been publically provoking with warmongering rhetoric and revisionist declarations.

Things calmed down in spring and summer 2023 for various reasons: The earthquake disaster in Turkey,the highpoint that Erdogan's policies had reached in creating enemies in the entire region,the inflation in Turkey's economy and the elections that were coming in Turkey and Greece. So Erdogan put on his friendly face,our morons here thought it was a good opportunity not to spend money on defence for a couple of years and Turkey slowly recuperated from all these problems as well as kept developing its weapons.


Why? Because of Israel? All because of Israel?

So,I have to ask you. I suppose you're Pakistani,right? If there was another war between India and Pakistan,should one hope for Pakistan to lose,because he hates China?

One could say "China oppresses Muslims,China oppresses Thibet,China is a bully,China wants to take Taiwan,China wants to do this,that,how can Pakistan be allied with China!
How can Pakistan buy weapons from China!"

Of course Pakistanis would reply: Who else would support us against India? American weapons come with political restrictions. European companies often prefer to sell to Indians or Indians throw a fit and we can't buy anything. Who will sell us quality equipment to defend against Indian aggression? China is selling us everything we want.

That's the same thing with Greece-Cyprus-Israel right now.

where did you read israel will sell 600 km lora to greece?

 

[Foinikas]

where did you read israel will sell 600 km lora to greece?

Someone on a comment wrote that the new version will be available to us. I don't know any more info.

 

[Auqab13]

Thank you for your response. Very insightful to your last comment:

Why? Because of Israel? All because of Israel?

So,I have to ask you. I suppose you're Pakistani,right? If there was another war between India and Pakistan,should one hope for Pakistan to lose,because he hates China?

One could say "China oppresses Muslims,China oppresses Thibet,China is a bully,China wants to take Taiwan,China wants to do this,that,how can Pakistan be allied with China!
How can Pakistan buy weapons from China!"

Of course Pakistanis would reply: Who else would support us against India? American weapons come with political restrictions. European companies often prefer to sell to Indians or Indians throw a fit and we can't buy anything. Who will sell us quality equipment to defend against Indian aggression? China is selling us everything we want.

That's the same thing with Greece-Cyprus-Israel right now.

Yes and I will tell you why.

We obviously do not like Israel. Israel has been the crux of many of our problems since the time their founding. Even in the recent conflict against India, the Israelis provided India with drones (confirmed), and possibly intelligence and other facets of military support. In Kashmir, Israeli officers trained Indian personnel and openly advises them in their aggression in Kashmir. They hold an open policy of contempt for Muslims and are dead set on the destruction of Muslim nations, while we have to settle for rhetoric about a two state solution which they have openly abandoned.


By bringing Israel into your equation, this conflict is not just between Greece and turkey. It will now be about Greece and Israel against Islam. Its not just that Israelis will just sell you weapons and sit back and relax, they will aid and abet you.

Maybe if you bought weapons from America, China, Russia (I understand Greece's position at EU and Nato member may not allow this) my argument would not hold, as the entire globe buys from them. They may have done their fair share of atrocities, but they definitely do not hold the same contempt that Israel does for us.


As far as Pakistan's position on the Uighurs and buying weapons from China. Pakistan has advocated that China should take a better approach to the Uyghur issue: an artcle from the guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...icises-china-over-treatment-of-ethnic-muslims. I believe I also heard of internal, non-publicized talks between Pakistani officials over the years about this issue. I am certain they have also advocated for a better appraoch.

Although It has been far from effective, and sometimes unfortunately Pakistan has policy has not relected this sentiment.

China has indeed done some messed up stuff to Uighurs, but it stems from a need to control the region moreso than religous hatred. Unlike Israel, their political slaves in America and Europe, and India, the chinese don't use irresponsible rhetoric against muslims and don't have a policy of ridding us or exterminating us. Their policies outwardly (to other muslim nations) have also not been antagonistic to muslims. Although I don't support China in it's battle against the Uighurs, I don't think is a credible reason for muslims to hate any country that buys weapons from China. Let us not also forget the credibility of the Uighur struggle somewhat became diminished in my eyes once I heard the US is covertly funding them with weapons and intel. The American China Hawks seasonally bring up the issue in policy issues and congress to advocate support for the Uighurs. So Its hard to distinguish between organic and manufactured problems in this conflict.

And fair, if one wants a nation to lose becuase they are a vassal state for their enemy, they should have every credible right to. The reality doesn't reflect that, becuase of the partnership with the chinese has elevated Pakistan quite a bit as a middle power. Pakistan has become less of a vassal state and more independant with this partnership. It started with the right policy, we never let china overrun us, and we never caved in with promises of military bases and so on. And tommorow if things go south with China, they are in no position to reasonably invade Pakistan. Pakistan is also a nuclear power, remember that.

However the same cannot be said about the dynamic between Greece and Israel. If the development fruits into Israel using your countries for whatever objectives they may have, we will become naturally opposed to your states and will double down harder on our relations with Turkey.

Ps. I'm Obstensibly a Pakistani .

 

[Foinikas]

• Maybe if you bought weapons from America, China, Russia (I understand Greece's position at EU and Nato member may not allow this) my argument would not hold, as the entire globe buys from them. They may have done their fair share of atrocities, but they definitely do not hold the same contempt that Israel does for us.

We are buying from USA and we had bought some from Russia. China,no.

Back in the 2000s,the Cypriots ordered S-300PMU1 and systems from Russia. I remind you,Turkey and Israel were best friends back then. The Greek Cypriots were under arms embargo from USA and it was mostly the French,Brazilians,Russians,Yugoslavs and Czechoslovaks who would sell them weapons openly.

So,the Greek Cypriots ordered S-300PMU1 systems and Turkey threatened with war if they were installed on the island. To avoid any problems,a solution was found: Greece would buy the S-300s and the Cypriots would get Tor-M1 and (later revealed)Buk-M1-2.

Also,in the 90s and 2000s,Greece bought a lot of Soviet weapons from ex-DDR stocks and also from Russia directly. For example:

• OSA AK/AKM
• Tor-M1
• Zubr
• BMP-1
• RPG-18s
• Fagot ATGMs
• Kornet ATGMs
• ZU-23-2

So that's how we ended up with a number of Russian weaponry,that we're now trying to get rid of.

Anyway,my question is: Why is it ok for Pakistanis when Turkey and Israel are friends,when Turkey used to buy weapons from them,why is it ok when Azerbaijan buys heavy weapons from Israel and has a very good relationship with them,when Iranians and others covertly got weaponry from Israel in certain wars for example Iran-Iraq War and I think the Soviet-Afghan War as well...but Greece should be scrutinized and criticized when we're simply trying to balance the massive Turkish arms programs?

 

[Auqab13]

Anyway,my question is: Why is it ok for Pakistanis when Turkey and Israel are friends,when Turkey used to buy weapons from them,why is it ok when Azerbaijan buys heavy weapons from Israel and has a very good relationship with them,when Iranians and others covertly got weaponry from Israel in certain wars for example Iran-Iraq War and I think the Soviet-Afghan War as well...but Greece should be scrutinized and criticized when we're simply trying to balance the massive Turkish arms programs?

None of that is excusable, and they should be more heavily scrutinized than the Greeks. There needs to serious reprucussions from the muslims states to keep their own in check, especially Azerbaijan with that scum of a human Aliyev. The deaf ears on this matter stems from ignorance of this occurring from the broader populace, and failure due to our own stupidity of being duped into having open or covert relationships with them.

But since the recent developments focus on Greece and Cyprus, and openly so, we can obviously see where this will go. Our two peoples are bounded to be pitted against eachother.

 

[Foinikas]

Our two peoples are bounded to be pitted against eachother.

But why? Pakistan has no reason to fight against Cyprus or Greece because of Turkey. Just like we have no reason to meddle in a Pakistan-Indian war. I find the whole "we should be enemies because we like Turkey" very stupid and I keep seeing it online all the time,especially here. There's a lot of people on PDF who have a mindset of "I don't know what's going on,but I support the Muslim side" or "this country did something bad,but since they are Muslims I support them".

Jews are Jews,but can you squeeze something out of them when you get the chance? If you can,do it. Same with the Chinese,same with anyone. Didn't the Allies do the same with Stalin's USSR during WWII? Didn't the Soviets do the same with the Third Reich when they were "friends" before WWII? You just go ahead and do it. It doesn't matter you support a genocide or anything like that.

I'll remind you a scene from Apocalypse Now:

Hubert: The Vietnamese are very intelligent. You never know what they think. The Russian ones who help them, "come and give us their money. We are all Communists. Chinese give us guns. We are all brothers."... They hate the Chinese! Maybe they hate the American less than the Russian and the Chinese. I mean, if tomorrow the Vietnamese are Communists they will be *Vietnamese* Communists. And this is something you never understood, you American.

 

[Foinikas]

@Auqab13 One interesting article I stumbled upon a bit ago

Israel–Greece US$3.5 Billion Mega Defence Deal Nears Completion, Transforming Eastern Mediterranean Air and Missile Power Balance - Defence Security Asia

Israel and Greece near a €3bn ($3.5bn | RM16.45bn) defence mega deal integrating Israeli air defence and missiles under Athens’ Achilles’ Shield strategy.

defencesecurityasia.com

Ignore the "mega defence deal" thing,I don't think 3,5 billion dollars is a mega deal when it comes to defence. What would Turkey's deal for the Eurofighter be then? Or the Australian submarines or the Polish arms purchases?

Some interesting points I wanted to show you,just to understand the history here:

The agreement also represents a culmination of more than a decade of steadily deepening Israeli-Greek defence cooperation, transforming a once cautious diplomatic relationship into a robust strategic partnership anchored in shared security interests, converging threat perceptions, and expanding defence-industrial integration across the Mediterranean theatre.

As negotiations reached an advanced stage by December 2025, with Greek lawmakers already approving key artillery purchases and air-defence talks nearing closure, the scale and scope of the transaction underscored how rapidly Athens is moving to close long-standing capability gaps that had left its armed forces vulnerable to both technological obsolescence and shifting power balances in the region.

For decades, Greece had maintained a predominantly pro-Arab diplomatic posture, aligning itself closely with Palestinian causes and limiting substantive military engagement with Israel, a stance shaped as much by Cold War alignments as by domestic political considerations.

This equation changed fundamentally following the deterioration of Israel-Turkey relations after the 2010 Mavi Marmara incident, which created a strategic vacuum that Athens was both willing and able to fill as it sought new defence partnerships to counterbalance Ankara’s growing assertiveness.

By 2012, Greece and Israel were conducting their first joint naval exercises, signalling a shift from symbolic engagement to practical military integration, particularly in maritime security and air-naval coordination across the Eastern Mediterranean.


Ok,so that's the historical and political context I wanted to show you. The rest is mostly about the purchases:

The SPYDER system, selected to replace Russia-origin OSA-AK and TOR-M1 platforms, provides short- to medium-range coverage against aircraft, helicopters, unmanned systems, and cruise missiles, offering Greece a highly mobile, all-weather solution optimized for rapid reaction.


By integrating Python-5 and Derby interceptor missiles, SPYDER enables engagement ranges extending up to roughly 80 kilometres, significantly expanding the defended footprint around critical infrastructure, military bases, and population centres.


Python-5’s advanced imaging-infrared seeker and high off-boresight capability deliver superior performance against agile targets, while Derby’s active radar guidance adds robust beyond-visual-range engagement capacity in contested electronic-warfare environments.


The Barak MX system, intended to replace aging US-made HAWK batteries, introduces a modular, multi-mission architecture capable of addressing threats from low-altitude aircraft to tactical ballistic missiles at ranges reaching up to 150 kilometres.

“The Barak MX can be used against aircraft, missiles, and ballistic missiles. This is a system that has been deployed operationally; whoever buys knows what they are buying,” said IAI chief executive Boaz Levy, underscoring the system’s combat-proven pedigree and export readiness.

Barak MX’s operational credibility is further reinforced by its naval integration aboard Israel’s Sa’ar-6 class corvettes, where the system has demonstrated effective defence against complex, multi-vector attack profiles in littoral environments.

David’s Sling, co-developed with Raytheon, represents a critical leap in Greece’s medium-to-long-range interception capability, replacing the Russian-supplied S-300 system and extending defended coverage to distances approaching 300 kilometres.

Employing the Stunner interceptor—a hit-to-kill missile capable of speeds exceeding Mach 7—the system is optimized to defeat ballistic missiles, heavy rockets, and high-performance cruise missiles through a combination of advanced radar and electro-optical guidance.

Crucially, all three Israeli systems are designed to integrate seamlessly with Greece’s existing US-made Patriot batteries, creating a layered, NATO-compatible air-and-missile defence network capable of sharing sensor data, cueing interceptors, and responding coherently to saturation attacks.

Long-Range Firepower: LORA and PULS Reshape Greek Deterrence​

Complementing the defensive layers of Achilles’ Shield is a parallel Greek push to acquire long-range precision-strike capabilities that would fundamentally alter the military calculus across the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean theatres.


In December 2025, the Greek parliament approved the acquisition of 36 PULS multiple-rocket launcher systems from Elbit Systems in a deal valued at approximately €650 million—about US $760 million (≈ RM 3.57 billion)—explicitly aimed at strengthening deterrence along Greece’s eastern frontier.


PULS offers a flexible, modular launch architecture capable of firing multiple munition types with ranges extending up to roughly 300 kilometres, enabling Greek forces to conduct precision strikes against high-value targets deep within contested zones.


More strategically consequential, however, is Athens’ active pursuit of Israel Aerospace Industries’ LORA quasi-ballistic missile system, a capability designed to provide Greece with a credible stand-off strike option against strategic military infrastructure.


Developed since 2002, LORA offers a range between 400 and 500 kilometres, a circular error probability of approximately 10 metres, and a 570-kilogram warhead delivered via inertial, GPS, and electro-optical terminal guidance.


The missile’s containerized launch system allows deployment from both ground-based platforms and naval vessels, enhancing operational flexibility and survivability under pre-emptive strike conditions.


LORA’s export track record—including sales to Azerbaijan and India—demonstrates its operational maturity, with combat use during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict highlighting its effectiveness against fortified targets.


Greek interest in LORA has intensified in direct response to Turkey’s deployment of the domestically produced Tayfun ballistic missile, a system that has significantly extended Ankara’s strike reach and heightened Athens’ sense of strategic vulnerability.

“Greece is seeking to purchase Israeli-made LORA ballistic missiles in response to Turkey’s deployment of domestically produced Tayfun missiles,” observed defence analyst Seth Frantzman, noting that Elbit’s EXTRA rockets are also under parallel consideration.


Turkish media have speculated that a Greek-deployed LORA capability could place critical Turkish military assets, including air bases around İzmir, within effective strike range, underscoring the deal’s potential to shift deterrence dynamics.


“We want to buy 36 PULS artillery systems and anti-aircraft systems for ‘Achilles Shield’. The negotiations with Israel will intensify next month,” a Greek official stated, emphasising a requirement that at least 25 percent of production value be channelled into local industry.


By pairing layered air defence with long-range precision fires, Greece aims to close a long-recognized gap in its ability to impose emphasize credible retaliatory costs in the event of escalation, thereby reinforcing deterrence through denial and punishment.

System Integration, Technical Depth, and NATO Interoperability​

From a technical standpoint, the Israeli systems selected for Achilles’ Shield reflect a deliberate emphasis on modularity, networked warfare, and resilience against electronic and kinetic countermeasures.

SPYDER’s scalable architecture allows deployment in short-range, medium-range, and extended-range configurations, enabling commanders to tailor coverage based on threat density and terrain constraints.


Barak MX’s interceptor family provides layered engagement envelopes, with the extended-range variant capable of intercepting targets at altitudes exceeding 30 kilometres, a critical capability against manoeuvring ballistic threats.


David’s Sling’s Stunner missile, reportedly costing approximately US $700,000 per interceptor (≈ RM 3.29 million), incorporates advanced seekers that blend active radar with electro-optical imaging, ensuring high kill probability even in GPS-denied environments.


LORA’s Mach-5 terminal velocity, coupled with its optional penetrator or sub-munition warhead configurations, offers Greece a versatile tool for counter-force missions against hardened or time-sensitive targets.


Integration across these systems will be enabled through Israeli-developed battle-management software designed to interface with NATO command-and-control standards, allowing data fusion with Patriot radars, early-warning sensors, and allied surveillance assets.


This interoperability ensures that Greece’s upgraded air-defence and strike architecture will not operate in isolation, but as part of a broader alliance-level defensive ecosystem spanning the Eastern Mediterranean.

 

[dani191]

@Auqab13 One interesting article I stumbled upon a bit ago

Israel–Greece US$3.5 Billion Mega Defence Deal Nears Completion, Transforming Eastern Mediterranean Air and Missile Power Balance - Defence Security Asia

Israel and Greece near a €3bn ($3.5bn | RM16.45bn) defence mega deal integrating Israeli air defence and missiles under Athens’ Achilles’ Shield strategy.

defencesecurityasia.com

Ignore the "mega defence deal" thing,I don't think 3,5 billion dollars is a mega deal when it comes to defence. What would Turkey's deal for the Eurofighter be then? Or the Australian submarines or the Polish arms purchases?

Some interesting points I wanted to show you,just to understand the history here:

The agreement also represents a culmination of more than a decade of steadily deepening Israeli-Greek defence cooperation, transforming a once cautious diplomatic relationship into a robust strategic partnership anchored in shared security interests, converging threat perceptions, and expanding defence-industrial integration across the Mediterranean theatre.

As negotiations reached an advanced stage by December 2025, with Greek lawmakers already approving key artillery purchases and air-defence talks nearing closure, the scale and scope of the transaction underscored how rapidly Athens is moving to close long-standing capability gaps that had left its armed forces vulnerable to both technological obsolescence and shifting power balances in the region.

For decades, Greece had maintained a predominantly pro-Arab diplomatic posture, aligning itself closely with Palestinian causes and limiting substantive military engagement with Israel, a stance shaped as much by Cold War alignments as by domestic political considerations.

This equation changed fundamentally following the deterioration of Israel-Turkey relations after the 2010 Mavi Marmara incident, which created a strategic vacuum that Athens was both willing and able to fill as it sought new defence partnerships to counterbalance Ankara’s growing assertiveness.

By 2012, Greece and Israel were conducting their first joint naval exercises, signalling a shift from symbolic engagement to practical military integration, particularly in maritime security and air-naval coordination across the Eastern Mediterranean.


Ok,so that's the historical and political context I wanted to show you. The rest is mostly about the purchases:

The SPYDER system, selected to replace Russia-origin OSA-AK and TOR-M1 platforms, provides short- to medium-range coverage against aircraft, helicopters, unmanned systems, and cruise missiles, offering Greece a highly mobile, all-weather solution optimized for rapid reaction.


By integrating Python-5 and Derby interceptor missiles, SPYDER enables engagement ranges extending up to roughly 80 kilometres, significantly expanding the defended footprint around critical infrastructure, military bases, and population centres.


Python-5’s advanced imaging-infrared seeker and high off-boresight capability deliver superior performance against agile targets, while Derby’s active radar guidance adds robust beyond-visual-range engagement capacity in contested electronic-warfare environments.


The Barak MX system, intended to replace aging US-made HAWK batteries, introduces a modular, multi-mission architecture capable of addressing threats from low-altitude aircraft to tactical ballistic missiles at ranges reaching up to 150 kilometres.

“The Barak MX can be used against aircraft, missiles, and ballistic missiles. This is a system that has been deployed operationally; whoever buys knows what they are buying,” said IAI chief executive Boaz Levy, underscoring the system’s combat-proven pedigree and export readiness.

Barak MX’s operational credibility is further reinforced by its naval integration aboard Israel’s Sa’ar-6 class corvettes, where the system has demonstrated effective defence against complex, multi-vector attack profiles in littoral environments.

David’s Sling, co-developed with Raytheon, represents a critical leap in Greece’s medium-to-long-range interception capability, replacing the Russian-supplied S-300 system and extending defended coverage to distances approaching 300 kilometres.

Employing the Stunner interceptor—a hit-to-kill missile capable of speeds exceeding Mach 7—the system is optimized to defeat ballistic missiles, heavy rockets, and high-performance cruise missiles through a combination of advanced radar and electro-optical guidance.

Crucially, all three Israeli systems are designed to integrate seamlessly with Greece’s existing US-made Patriot batteries, creating a layered, NATO-compatible air-and-missile defence network capable of sharing sensor data, cueing interceptors, and responding coherently to saturation attacks.

Long-Range Firepower: LORA and PULS Reshape Greek Deterrence​

Complementing the defensive layers of Achilles’ Shield is a parallel Greek push to acquire long-range precision-strike capabilities that would fundamentally alter the military calculus across the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean theatres.


In December 2025, the Greek parliament approved the acquisition of 36 PULS multiple-rocket launcher systems from Elbit Systems in a deal valued at approximately €650 million—about US $760 million (≈ RM 3.57 billion)—explicitly aimed at strengthening deterrence along Greece’s eastern frontier.


PULS offers a flexible, modular launch architecture capable of firing multiple munition types with ranges extending up to roughly 300 kilometres, enabling Greek forces to conduct precision strikes against high-value targets deep within contested zones.


More strategically consequential, however, is Athens’ active pursuit of Israel Aerospace Industries’ LORA quasi-ballistic missile system, a capability designed to provide Greece with a credible stand-off strike option against strategic military infrastructure.


Developed since 2002, LORA offers a range between 400 and 500 kilometres, a circular error probability of approximately 10 metres, and a 570-kilogram warhead delivered via inertial, GPS, and electro-optical terminal guidance.


The missile’s containerized launch system allows deployment from both ground-based platforms and naval vessels, enhancing operational flexibility and survivability under pre-emptive strike conditions.


LORA’s export track record—including sales to Azerbaijan and India—demonstrates its operational maturity, with combat use during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict highlighting its effectiveness against fortified targets.


Greek interest in LORA has intensified in direct response to Turkey’s deployment of the domestically produced Tayfun ballistic missile, a system that has significantly extended Ankara’s strike reach and heightened Athens’ sense of strategic vulnerability.

“Greece is seeking to purchase Israeli-made LORA ballistic missiles in response to Turkey’s deployment of domestically produced Tayfun missiles,” observed defence analyst Seth Frantzman, noting that Elbit’s EXTRA rockets are also under parallel consideration.


Turkish media have speculated that a Greek-deployed LORA capability could place critical Turkish military assets, including air bases around İzmir, within effective strike range, underscoring the deal’s potential to shift deterrence dynamics.


“We want to buy 36 PULS artillery systems and anti-aircraft systems for ‘Achilles Shield’. The negotiations with Israel will intensify next month,” a Greek official stated, emphasising a requirement that at least 25 percent of production value be channelled into local industry.


By pairing layered air defence with long-range precision fires, Greece aims to close a long-recognized gap in its ability to impose emphasize credible retaliatory costs in the event of escalation, thereby reinforcing deterrence through denial and punishment.

System Integration, Technical Depth, and NATO Interoperability​

From a technical standpoint, the Israeli systems selected for Achilles’ Shield reflect a deliberate emphasis on modularity, networked warfare, and resilience against electronic and kinetic countermeasures.

SPYDER’s scalable architecture allows deployment in short-range, medium-range, and extended-range configurations, enabling commanders to tailor coverage based on threat density and terrain constraints.


Barak MX’s interceptor family provides layered engagement envelopes, with the extended-range variant capable of intercepting targets at altitudes exceeding 30 kilometres, a critical capability against manoeuvring ballistic threats.


David’s Sling’s Stunner missile, reportedly costing approximately US $700,000 per interceptor (≈ RM 3.29 million), incorporates advanced seekers that blend active radar with electro-optical imaging, ensuring high kill probability even in GPS-denied environments.


LORA’s Mach-5 terminal velocity, coupled with its optional penetrator or sub-munition warhead configurations, offers Greece a versatile tool for counter-force missions against hardened or time-sensitive targets.


Integration across these systems will be enabled through Israeli-developed battle-management software designed to interface with NATO command-and-control standards, allowing data fusion with Patriot radars, early-warning sensors, and allied surveillance assets.


This interoperability ensures that Greece’s upgraded air-defence and strike architecture will not operate in isolation, but as part of a broader alliance-level defensive ecosystem spanning the Eastern Mediterranean.

you can also buy the iron beam 100 kw good for drones

 

[Watandar]

Greece and Turkey have residual tensions from history, I get that but they are not going to get into a conflict in the future. I am mystified by all these billion dollar Greek purchases that are clearly aimed at Turkey.

Maybe Greece has emerged from the financial crisis of some 15 years back and is now a rich country that can splurge on weapons. This move will certainly get them in the good books of zio lobby in Washington.

 

[dani191]

Greece and Turkey have residual tensions from history, I get that but they are not going to get into a conflict in the future. I am mystified by all these billion dollar Greek purchases that are clearly aimed at Turkey.

you can never know need to be ready

 

[INS_Vikrant]

But why? Pakistan has no reason to fight against Cyprus or Greece because of Turkey.

They do, and we both know that reason.

 

[Foinikas]

Maybe Greece has emerged from the financial crisis of some 15 years back and is now a rich country that can splurge on weapons. This move will certainly get them in the good books of zio lobby in Washington.

We're far from being a rich country. The reason we're spending money on weapons now is simple: For more than 10 years(in some cases more than 15 years),the Armed Forces were neglected to dramatic effect.

In 2020,when we almost went to war with Turkey again,we saw the results of 10 years of economic crisis and more than 15 years of negligence.

• Almost the entire fleet of Mirage 2000 and Mirage 2000-5 Mk.II were ground due to lack of spare parts
• Almost the entire fleet of C-130s and many other transport aircraft were grounded
• Many helicopters not flying due to lack of spare parts
• 9 obsolete Kortenaer frigates
• 4 MEKO 200HN frigates that needed upgrade
• 7 Roussen class FAC without sufficient RIM missile numbers

Then we had the submarines



Apart from that:

• We had no IFVs except for some old BMP-1s
• Virtually no MRAPs or armored security vehicles
• Majority of Air Defence was obsolete or relatively old
• No 5th gen AT weapons
• No serious EW systems
• Artillery needed upgrades

Even now,we've only scratched the tip of the iceberg.

 

[Foinikas]

you can never know need to be ready

That. Exactly that. You can't know. And it might not be a full war,it could be an attempt to create a situation,grab a few islands,take a bit of land.

 

[Qaraca]

None of that is excusable, and they should be more heavily scrutinized than the Greeks. There needs to serious reprucussions from the muslims states to keep their own in check, especially Azerbaijan with that scum of a human Aliyev. The deaf ears on this matter stems from ignorance of this occurring from the broader populace, and failure due to our own stupidity of being duped into having open or covert relationships with them.

But since the recent developments focus on Greece and Cyprus, and openly so, we can obviously see where this will go. Our two peoples are bounded to be pitted against eachother.

1: Even Morocco buys weapons from Israel. Remind me, apart from being Muslims, they are Arabs too.

2: Azerbaijan’s defence purchases are diversified, it does not rely on 1 single country. Case in point, latest procurement of HQ-9BE from China.

3: The only target of those weapons would be an external agressor, and so far they were only used against a non-Muslim agressor in form of Armenia, which you apparently "opposed". This is the problem with people like you who criticise Azerbaijan’s relations with Israel, there is never a consistency. Hypocricy is not a good thing.