Israel signs €3 billion arms export deal with Greece

On Monday, Israel and Greece inked a significant arms deal worth approximately €3 billion, according to the Israel Defense Ministry. The accord entails Israel constructing a sophisticated air defense network for Greece, utilizing exclusively Israeli-made weaponry. The agreement encompasses various systems, such as David's Sling, SPYDER, and BARAK MX, all produced by Rafael and Israel Aerospace Industries, respectively.

These systems were officially presented at the ministry headquarters in Tel Aviv, where Israeli Defense Ministry Director General Amir Baram and his Greek counterpart, Ioannis Bouras, exchanged the necessary documents. This agreement is part of Greece's ambitious €28 billion military modernization program, projected to be completed by 2036.

The program will see Greece adopting an anti-ballistic missile, anti-aircraft, and anti-drone system, in addition to purchasing fighter jets from the US and warships from France and Italy. Currently, Greece relies on a combination of US-made Patriot air defense missiles, Russian S-300 systems, and other short-range air defense systems.

The two nations have been engaged in negotiations for nearly three years, as reported by the Jerusalem Post. The two countries have a history of strong economic and diplomatic ties, collaborating on various initiatives, including an air training center in Greece, joint annual military exercises, and cooperation on anti-drone systems and cybersecurity.

This arms deal is the largest in the history of Israel-Greece relations and one of the biggest in Israel's defense export history. The deal comes amid heightened tensions with Iran, particularly during the ongoing conflict. Greece recently moved a Patriot air defense system to Crete, a location that houses a significant US base at Souda.