TEL AVIV — Israel and Greece signed a €3.1 billion air-defense agreement on Monday, the largest defense deal ever concluded between the two countries.
The program, known as Achilles Shield, will combine Rafael’s David’s Sling and SPYDER systems with Israel Aerospace Industries’ BARAK MX into an integrated, nationwide network against ballistic missiles, aircraft and drones. Full operational capability is targeted within 35 months, with capabilities fielded in stages.
Under the terms of the deal, Greek industry will receive more than 25 percent of the work—more than €700 million—and Athens will obtain source-code access so it can operate and sustain the system’s software independently. The agreement was signed at Israeli Defense Ministry headquarters in Tel Aviv.
