PASOK Movement for Change leader Nikos Androulakis has demanded that Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis clarify whether Greece will have access to the source code of the Achilles Shield air defence system, warning that the issue is a matter of national security.
Speaking in Thessaloniki on Tuesday during a meeting with representatives of the city’s business and professional organisations at the 90th Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF), Androulakis called on the government to give a clear answer over Greece’s rights under the defence programme.
“Are we actually being held hostage or aren’t we? Do we have access to the source code, yes or no?” Androulakis said.
The PASOK leader argued that Mitsotakis has an obligation to personally clarify the issue, following conflicting information about the level of access Greece will receive to the software and technology underpinning the Achilles Shield.
Androulakis questions Achilles Shield agreement
Androulakis referred to comments made by Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias on July 23, when he said that Greece would not proceed with a defence procurement unless it had access to the relevant source code.
According to Androulakis, Dendias also said that Greece would not be held hostage by even friendly countries, which the PASOK leader interpreted as a reference to Israel.
Androulakis said subsequent reports had raised questions over whether Greece will actually receive access to the source code.
He pointed specifically to an interview with the director of Israel’s missile defence programme, which he said indicated that Greece would not have access to the source code.
“This raises a question to which the government is not providing an answer,” Androulakis said.
He called for the government to provide clear information about the terms of the Achilles Shield programme and exactly what level of technological access will be available to the Hellenic Armed Forces.
PASOK supports stronger Greek defence
Despite his criticism of the government, Androulakis said PASOK supports efforts to strengthen Greece’s defence capabilities and deterrence.
“We support strengthening the country’s defence capabilities. We support every effort to bolster our deterrent capability,” he said.
However, he stressed that the government must also provide transparency over major defence procurements.
“We also need clear answers. Not for us, but for Greek society,” Androulakis said.
The controversy comes as Greece advances the Achilles Shield air and missile defence programme, a major initiative aimed at creating a more integrated national defence architecture capable of responding to a range of aerial and missile threats.
The programme has also placed greater emphasis on the transfer of defence technology and know how, making questions over software access and source code an important part of the wider debate surrounding Greece’s defence cooperation with Israel.
The government has yet to publicly address all of the questions raised by Androulakis regarding Greece’s access to the Achilles Shield source code.
