Israel and Greece are expected to sign a series of agreements in Tel Aviv on Monday formally launching the $3.6 billion “Achilles Shield,” a massive integrated air-defense network designed to protect Greece from missiles, drones and other aerial threats.

The project, a centerpiece of Greece’s military modernization program, will combine existing Greek air-defense capabilities with several advanced Israeli-made systems into a single multilayered network.

The Achilles Shield will incorporate Greece’s existing Patriot batteries alongside Rafael’s SPYDER short-range air-defense system, Israel Aerospace Industries’ Barak MX medium-range system and David’s Sling, which is designed to intercept ballistic missiles and other long-range threats.

Instead of operating independently, the various systems will be linked through a unified command-and-control network capable of sharing information and coordinating responses to incoming threats.

Artificial intelligence-powered software will analyze information gathered by multiple sensors, classify incoming threats and recommend the most appropriate system and interceptor to neutralize them.

The layered approach is also intended to dramatically reduce interception costs by allowing commanders to use less expensive systems against cheaper threats such as drones rather than deploying costly interceptors or fighter aircraft.

Greece approved the program on July 23, with the complete system expected to become operational within approximately 35 months. Components of the network will be delivered and activated in stages.

The agreement will also provide a significant role for Greece’s domestic defense industry. Twelve Greek companies are expected to participate in the project, receiving contracts totaling more than $811 million and accounting for at least 25% of the overall program.

Negotiations between Jerusalem and Athens also focused heavily on Greece retaining control over the network’s software, with the agreements expected to include the transfer of source codes for various components.

The massive project represents another major expansion of defense cooperation between Israel and Greece and further establishes Israeli air-defense technology as a central component of European military modernization.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)