Greece has signed its largest-ever defense deal with Israel, a $3.5 billion agreement that will deliver a multi-layered ...

Greece has signed its largest-ever defense deal with Israel, a $3.5 billion agreement that will deliver a multi-layered air defense system to Athens known as the Achilles Shield. The agreement was signed Monday in Tel Aviv and is scheduled to reach full operational readiness within 35 months. The Achilles Shield bundles three core defense systems along with multi-mission air surveillance radars and an AI-enabled command center that integrates all the technologies. A separate supplementary deal worth 26 million euros will also see Israel deliver drone dome systems to Greece. The purchase is part of Greece's broader military modernization push, with Athens planning to spend roughly 28 billion euros by 2036. That spending includes up to 40 F-35 jets from the United States and frigates from France and Italy. Analysts say the deal is driven in part by concerns about Iran. Greece hosts American naval bases that could become targets if Tehran broadens its strikes beyond Gulf allies, according to security analyst Wolfgang Pusztai, who formerly served as an Austrian defense attaché in Greece. He also noted the first elements of the Achilles Shield are expected to be deployed in the Aegean, where tensions with Turkey over maritime boundaries remain a constant factor. Israel's David's Sling system has attracted several European buyers as an alternative to the US Patriot, which is both in short supply and facing delays due to the ongoing Iran conflict. Switzerland was told earlier this year its Patriot delivery would be postponed and more expensive. Turkey has not yet issued an official response, but Turkish defense commentators have already begun arguing that the deal makes Greece effectively co-responsible for Israeli actions in Gaza and the West Bank, according to Al Jazeera's John Psaropoulos reporting from Athens. The growing defense triangle between Greece, Israel, and Cyprus has previously drawn sharp condemnation from Ankara. Domestically, the deal has triggered significant pushback. Former finance minister Yanis Varoufakis called the agreement a step toward turning Greece into an Israeli satellite, saying it must be resisted. A Pew Research poll from June ...