Greece and Israel sign the Achilles Shield defense agreement

On August 31, 2026, Greece and Israel finalized an intergovernmental agreement in Tel Aviv to develop the "Achilles Shield," a multi-layered air and missile defense system. The project, valued at approximately 3 billion euros, involves collaboration between the Greek General Directorate for Defence Investments and Armaments (GDDIA) and the Israeli International Defence Cooperation Directorate (SIBAT). Major Israeli firms including IAI, Rafael, and ELTA Systems will participate in the construction, which is set to integrate advanced technologies such as David's Sling, Barak MX, Spyder systems, and ELM-2084 AESA radars. Greece is slated to participate in 25% of the project's construction work.

The initiative was formally approved by the Greek Government Council for Foreign Affairs and Defence (KYSEA) on July 23, 2026. Designed to counter threats from ballistic missiles, aircraft, and drones, the system aims to reach full operational capacity within 35 months. Following a low-profile signing ceremony that excluded political figures, the project will now transition into its implementation phase, with equipment to be delivered progressively to the Greek armed forces as part of the broader 2030 modernization agenda.