A key limitation of Greece’s €3 billion Achilles’ Shield air defence agreement with Israel is that Athens will not receive the source code for the command and control (C2) systems underpinning the network.
Moshe Patel, head of Israel’s Missile Defense Organization, confirmed that source code access was not included in the licensing agreement, despite Greece’s interest in maintaining greater control over the software architecture of its new integrated air defence system.
Under the agreement, Israel will provide Greece with ongoing technical support, maintenance and assistance with future upgrades and developments.
However, the arrangement means that Greece will operate the Spyder, Barak MX and David’s Sling air defence systems without full access to the proprietary software that controls their operation.
The issue of source code is significant because access would give Greece greater ability to independently modify, integrate and maintain the systems while reducing reliance on the Israeli side for certain software related changes and upgrades.
The Achilles’ Shield programme is designed to create a layered air and missile defence network for Greece, integrating multiple systems into a unified command and control architecture.
The absence of source code access therefore represents an important limitation on Greece’s technological autonomy, even as the agreement significantly strengthens the country’s air and missile defence capabilities.
Source: Kathimerini
