Greece is buying a multi-layered air defense system from Israel worth 3.5 billion euros, the largest defense procurement...

Greece is buying a multi-layered air defense system from Israel worth 3.5 billion euros, the largest defense procurement in the country's recent history, specifically designed to counter a potential Turkish missile strike on Aegean islands. The deal, which will be integrated into Greece's broader Achilles Shield program, includes three Israeli systems stacked in layers. Rafael's David's Sling covers the upper layer, capable of intercepting cruise missiles, aircraft, and drones at ranges up to 300 kilometers. Israel Aerospace Industries' Barak MX handles the middle layer, and Rafael's Spyder system fills the lower layer, with batteries expected to be deployed as far out as the Aegean islands and Crete. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis gave a blunt explanation for the deal after the National Security Council approved it. Turkey is eight times larger than Greece, he said, and while Athens is willing to negotiate economic zone boundaries, he will never negotiate from a position of weakness. The full system is expected to be deployed within 35 months, an accelerated timeline driven by Greece's assessment that Turkey could attempt a surprise multi-missile strike to seize Aegean islands. The strategic picture behind the deal is broader than just Greece. Israel is directly affected by Turkish pressure in the region. Greece had planned to lay an undersea cable connecting Israel's electricity grid to Europe, but Italy's deployment ship has been sitting idle at the site near Kasos and Karpathos because Turkey threatened to cut the cables. Greece has so far held back to avoid a direct military clash. Turkey also just declared a closed maritime zone north of Cyprus through August 30 for seismic research related to a natural gas pipeline it wants to lay to the Turkish-controlled north of the island, territory recognized by no country except Ankara. According to the Jerusalem Post's analysis, a triangular alliance between Greece, Israel, and Cyprus is quietly tightening, driven in large part by shared pressure from Erdogan's Turkey. The deal also includes at least 25% local Greek production of components, and Greece's defense budget has climbed to an estimated ...