In a major step toward strengthening national defense, the Greek government has approved a landmark €4.3 billion military modernization program during today’s meeting of the Government Council for National Security (KYSEA). Dubbed a “mammoth” initiative, the package centers on the flagship “Achilles Shield” — a comprehensive, multi-layered air and missile defense system.
The Achilles Shield: A New Era for Greek Air Defense
The centerpiece of the plan is the €3.5 billion national air and missile defense shield — designed to replace Greece’s aging, fragmented air defense infrastructure with a unified, nationwide architecture. This integrated system will be capable of simultaneously countering advanced threats, including fighter jets, helicopters, cruise missiles, tactical ballistic missiles, loitering munitions, and both small-scale and swarm drones — whether operating autonomously or in coordinated formations.
Broad-Spectrum Capabilities Across All Domains
Beyond the Achilles Shield, the KYSEA-approved package includes a wide range of high-priority acquisitions:
- Three new Embraer C-390 Millennium transport aircraft
- Two armed Heron unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), configured for weapons integration
- Additional non-kinetic anti-drone systems for islands in the Eastern Aegean
- VICTA underwater vehicles for Special Operations Units
- Ten V-BAT vertical take-off and landing UAV systems (totaling 20 airframes)
- Surveillance microsatellites
- AGM-114R2 Hellfire missiles for Apache attack helicopters
- Modern night-vision optics
- New Israeli-made sonar systems for Greece’s four MEKO frigates
Significant Domestic Industrial Involvement
A key feature of the program is substantial Greek industry participation — estimated at no less than 25% across the Achilles Shield project. This goes beyond maintenance or basic component manufacturing: Greek firms are set to produce launchers, electronic modules, cabling, command-and-control subsystems, and even munitions. A particular emphasis has been placed on establishing domestic capability for missile production within Greece.
Prime Minister Mitsotakis: “Multi-Layered Defensive Security”
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis described the Achilles Shield as an ambitious program that will deliver robust, multi-layered defensive security for Greece — marking a decisive shift toward self-reliance, interoperability, and technological sovereignty in national defense.