Greece, which has escalated tensions in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean, is now preparing to completely renew its air defense umbrella. Athens administration; Within the scope of the plan it carries out under the name “Achilles Shield”, it aims to combine existing radar, missile and early warning systems in a single network. ORSAM’s new report reveals the capacity of Greece and the new structure to be established in numbers. While there are 11 early warning radars, 6 Patriot batteries and 4 airborne early warning aircraft across the country in the current table; With the introduction of new systems, it is planned to increase the radar detection range to 470 kilometers and the engagement distance of some interceptor missiles to 300 kilometers. What is noteworthy for Türkiye is that Greece is not only acquiring new missile batteries, but also preparing to transform its existing air defense elements into an integrated, interconnected structure.
THERE ARE PATRIOT SYSTEMS
According to the report prepared by Security Analyst Arda Mevlütoğlu, Greece has 11 early warning radars spread across the country. Added to this are 4 Embraer EMB-145H airborne early warning and control aircraft with Saab ERIEYE radar in the Hellenic Air Force inventory. The information received from these sensors is transferred to the national air operations center in Larissa. Thus, Greece can follow the air picture in and around the Aegean not only with land-based radars but also with airborne platforms. Patriots form the backbone of long-range defense. Greece supplied 6 batteries of Patriots in the 1999-2000 period. It is stated that the systems have been modernized from the PAC-2 configuration to the PAC-3 level, and the aim is to add PAC-3 MSE inhibitors to the structure.
300 MILLION DOLLAR PACKAGE
The report also includes information that the Patriot radar can track and engage more than 100 targets simultaneously. The figure on the agenda for the modernization of these systems is also remarkable. It is reported that Greece and Saudi Arabia are working on a package worth approximately 300 million dollars to upgrade the Patriots to the PAC-3 MSE standard and renew their radar-fire control units.
BARAK MX INSTEAD OF S-300
Greece’s second long-range element is the Russian-made S-300PMU1s in Crete. According to the report, the system consists of a battalion structure of 4 batteries. It is stated that the S-300s have a range of 150-200 kilometers and an altitude of approximately 27 kilometers against air targets with 48N6E missiles. However, the operational future of these systems is uncertain due to the interruption of the flow of parts and technical support after the Russia-Ukraine War. The report notes that the S-300s are expected to be replaced by the Israeli-made Barak MX. According to the inventory breakdown in the report, there are 7 I-HAWK batteries in Greece and each battery contains 6 launchers. This includes 25 Tor-M1, 39 Osa-AK/AKM, 9 Crotale NG/GR systems, 5 Skyguard/Velos batteries and 54 ASRAD-Hellas delivered in previous years.
SYSTEMS ARE NOT INTEGRATED
However, one of the points highlighted in the report is that Greece’s large air defense inventory also creates a serious adaptation problem. The presence of American, French, German and Russian origin systems in the same structure; It makes integration difficult in the areas of ammunition, spare parts, software and command-control. The lack of technical support, especially for the Russian-made S-300 and Tor-M1 systems, makes the sustainability of the current structure even more difficult. For this reason, the report allocates a separate place to the Achilles Shield project, which is expected to be completed by 2027. Athens’ goal is to gather fragmented air defense elements acquired from different countries over decades under a single digital network. On the backbone of the new building there are three The Israeli-made system stands out: David’s Sling, Barak MX and SPYDER-MR/LR. These systems are planned to operate at different altitudes and ranges and work together with radar, sensors and command-control networks.
A “SEEING NETWORK” THAN A MISSILE
The most striking part of the report for Türkiye is in the last pages. In the evaluations here, the Achilles Shield is not only a technical project that increases Greece’s air defense capacity; It is argued that it has become one of the important parts of the military and technological integration between Israel-Greece-GCASC. In the analysis, the sensor network to be expanded with ELM-2084 radars is seen as critical. It is considered that if the radar systems in Greece and the Greek Cypriot Administration work together with NATO sensors, European radars and Israeli infrastructure, a more intense air surveillance network can emerge over the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean. The report also evaluates that transferring Israel’s operational experience in air and missile defense in recent conflicts to Greece would mean a “CONOPS”, that is, operational concept transfer, beyond the sale of systems.
