Israel and Greece are preparing to move their security cooperation to a new level, with the expected signing in Tel Aviv of a broad agreement to establish a multi-layered air and missile defense system in Greece, at an estimated cost of about 3.1 billion euros, in a project called “Achilles’ Shield” that combines advanced Israeli systems and artificial intelligence capabilities to confront drones, missiles, and ballistic threats.

According to a report by journalist Itamar Eichner on the Israeli Yedioth Ahronoth website, the two countries are expected to sign next Monday the deal to establish the new Greek defense system, in one of the largest security projects prepared in cooperation between the two parties.

After signing the agreement, the implementation phase is expected to begin, taking about 35 months.

The agreement will be signed between procurement officials of the Greek Ministry of Defense and SEBAT, the defense exports division of the Israeli Ministry of Defense responsible for international security cooperation.

Through the project, Athens aims to create a multi-layered defense network linking different systems, allowing it to deal with a wide spectrum of threats, starting from drones and drones and reaching missiles and ballistic threats.

Within the framework of the plan, Greece intends to integrate its currently existing systems with advanced Israeli systems, including “Spider,” “Barak MX,” and “David’s Sling,” in addition to “Patriot” systems and additional capabilities.

The basic idea of ​​the project is to build a unified network in which sensors, command and control systems, and interception means can communicate with each other, allowing each time to choose the most appropriate defense method for the nature of the threat.

The agreement is not limited to the military aspect, as it also includes an important component of the Greek defense industry.

It is expected that about 12 Greek companies will participate in the project, with their business volume exceeding 700 million euros, while the participation rate of Greek industry is estimated at about 25% of the project.

For Athens, this aims to ensure that huge investments do not simply become a purchase of weapons systems, but also include the transfer of knowledge, the development of local capabilities, and the strengthening of the Greek defense industry.

The issue of access to the source code of the programs that will operate the system was one of the most prominent issues negotiated between the two sides.

The ability to access the source code may give Greece greater independence in maintenance operations, making modifications, and implementing future upgrades to the system, an issue that has become an essential element in advanced defense deals in recent years.

At the heart of the new system is expected to operate an advanced command and control system that also includes artificial intelligence capabilities.

The system will collect data from radars, sensors, and various detection means, determine the nature of threats, and help forces decide on the appropriate means of dealing with them.

But the challenge that the system is designed to confront is not limited to missiles, but also includes the airspace, which has become crowded with drones and drones.

In a reality where the adversary can launch large numbers of drones at low cost, using a high-priced interceptor missile against each drone becomes an uneconomic option.

Therefore, the new system aims to achieve harmony between the type of threat and the means of response, so that a relatively simple threat is not necessarily dealt with by an expensive and technologically advanced system.

The signing process expected on Monday indicates a new phase in security relations between Israel and Greece.

For Greece, the “Achilles Shield” represents an attempt to build a modern, multi-dimensional defense layer in the face of a constantly changing threat environment, while Israel sees it as an additional important project that deepens its security cooperation with one of its closest partners in the region, and turns artificial intelligence and integration between systems into a basic pillar in the future air defense architecture.