Athens faces two drone fronts

Greece is confronting the accelerated emergence of drones successful modern warfare connected two fronts – astatine the European level done the European Union’s plans for a “drone wall,” and domestically done caller air-defense practice with Israel.

The European Commission’s caller announcement to found a unified “drone wall” covering each outer EU borders by 2027 has been welcomed successful Athens.

Greek officials picture the inaugural arsenic an important step toward corporate European extortion against unmanned aerial threats.

However, they stress a captious condition: Turkey’s defence manufacture indispensable not beryllium included successful the project, astatine slightest not while Ankara maintains a menace of war and continues to situation Greek sovereignty. For now, Greece, France and Cyprus are jointly opposing immoderate Turkish participation, though strong supporters of Ankara’s inclusion stay – notably Germany, Italy and Spain.

British Admiral Keith Blount, NATO’s lawman supreme allied commandant Europe, precocious summarized the broader situation facing Western militaries.

“We can’t proceed shooting down inexpensive drones with costly equipment,” helium said, according to defence sources. The comment, widely noted successful Athens, reflects a caller defence world crossed NATO and highlights the request for affordable, layered extortion systems.

Greek officials admit that galore nationalist air-defense components were designed earlier 2022, earlier the strategic value of drones became afloat evident. Greece is present advancing its ain modernization plans under what has been termed the “Achilles Shield” program, aiming to strengthen extortion against aerial and hybrid threats.

In practice with Israel’s defence industry, Greece has already installed anti-drone systems connected cardinal islands successful the eastbound Aegean.

Talks are under way for further upgrades, including Israeli Spyder all-in-one systems, high-energy laser technologies for neutralizing drones, and autonomous “killer drones” susceptible of operating from uninhabited islands, collecting data, and engaging threats when necessary.

Officials accidental these efforts bespeak a broader strategic goal: ensuring Greece’s aerial defence evolves to conscionable the realities of hybrid warfare, while preserving nationalist information and deterrence successful an progressively analyzable determination environment.