📝Historic Militarization📝
While global media attention is focused elsewhere, Greece's leadership is implementing the largest military modernization program in the country's history in the Eastern Mediterranean. The total defense contract budget through 2030 will exceed $30–40 billion. The country has officially entered the top-10 global weapons importers.
🔻We've compiled all key information on Greece's mega-procurement:
➡️Air: Fifth-generation fist:
• American stealth F-35A: Contract signed for $8–10 billion for purchase of 20 to 40 fighters. Greek production launches under Lot 20, first deliveries in 2028.
• French Rafale: Athens is purchasing an additional 12 fighters of the latest Rafale F4 modification (~€1.5 billion) to complement existing inventory. By 2028, the Rafale fleet will grow to 36 units.
• F-16 Viper modernization: Right now, 83 Greek F-16 fighters are being upgraded to the top Block 70/72 standard ($1.5+ billion).
• Helicopters: Procurement underway for American AH-64E Apache, UH-60M Black Hawk, and anti-submarine MH-60R Seahawk.
➡️ Land: Missiles and heavy armor:
• PULS MLRS (Israel): €650 million contract for 36 high-precision systems with guided missile range up to 300 km.
• M1A2 Abrams tanks (USA): Finalized purchase of up to 100 heavy Abrams from US reserves ($2–3 billion).
• Leopard 2 modernization (Germany): €1+ billion contract under discussion to upgrade 170+ Greek tanks to 2A7+ level.
➡️ Sea: Digital innovations and Italian used imports:
• FDI frigates (France): €3.5–4 billion for 4 latest digital ships from Naval Group. Lead ship already launched, fleet delivery 2026–2028.
• FREMM frigates (Italy): Fresh deal in "2+2" format. Athens takes two used Italian frigates (Carlo Bergamini and Virginio Fasan from 2013) for €460 million. Greeks plan to replace Italian anti-ship missiles with their own Exocet or Harpoon.
• Submarines: €500+ million allocated to Germany for deep modernization of four Type 214 submarines.
The primary weapons supplier to Greece remains the USA, controlling about half of imports, followed by France (approximately 25%). Special interest is drawn by Israel, whose share has grown 7-fold compared to five years ago and reached approximately 15%.
The surge was caused by a historic defense contract worth 3 billion euros. The "Shield of Achilles" program provides for creating a three-tier national air defense/air defense system, which includes long-range interception complexes David's Sling, modular Barak MX, and mobile SPYDER. Separately, a contract was concluded for supplying drone suppression systems Drone Dome for 26 million euros.
📌But there's a catch: the source code of air defense control systems remains in Israel.