2 weeks ago
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The deepening and broadening of strategic defence practice betwixt Israel and Greece is emphasized successful an exclusive interrogation with Kathimerini by the caput of the Directorate of International Defense Cooperation of the Israeli Ministry of Defense (SIBAT), Brigadier General (ret.) Yair Kulas.
It comes successful the wake of the announcement of the 12-year defence program by Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias, spearheading the procurement and co-production of precocious defence systems, arsenic well arsenic the speech of specialized know-how.
A fewer days earlier the authoritative contacts successful Athens, the Athens-Jerusalem talks are geared toward the instauration of Achilles’ Shield, which will incorporated anti-missile, anti-aircraft, anti-drone, anti-ship, and anti-submarine protection, catalytically enhancing the country’s deterrent power.
Against the backdrop of the DEFEA planetary defence and information accumulation (May 6-8, Metropolitan Expo), Israel is participating with 26 companies successful the field, presenting some of the world’s astir sophisticated and technologically precocious weapons and accusation systems, while the caput of the mission, Brigadier General Kulas, presents Kathimerini with Israel’s semipermanent plans that see “laser” weapons.
During his caller visit to Israel, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met representatives from the Ministry of Defense (SIBAT) and members of the Israeli defence industry. How would you measure the defence practice betwixt the two nations?
First of all, we person a strong and unique narration that goes done each levels. This narration starts astatine the level of people, goes to the level of governments, and then reaches the level of the equipped forces. And the defence narration betwixt Greece and Israel is present astatine its peak. It is worth mentioning that our practice strengthens stability and determination information successful the Eastern Mediterranean, and our beingness astatine the accumulation with 26 companies is portion of this deepening cooperation, which has culminated successful the past 5 years.
Do you think that adjacent practice betwixt the two states could pb to the co-development of next-generation defence capabilities?
Yes, absolutely. Unfortunately, successful the past two years we person gained a batch of subject acquisition successful the Gaza Strip, successful Lebanon, successful Syria, successful Judea and Samaria (West Bank) and we are willing to stock our acquisition with you due to the fact that we consciousness that we are existent partners and tin talk astir everything astir our subject experience, our systems and our expertise.
‘We are willing to stock our acquisition with you due to the fact that we consciousness that we are existent partners and tin talk astir everything astir our subject experience’
As portion of Greece’s 12-year defence procurement program and the improvement of the Achilles’ Shield initiative, what specific Israeli defence systems are being considered oregon projected for supply?
I cannot supply that information, but we are looking astatine programs that we really person and use successful Israel. In Israel, it is portion of our world that we person such a immense menace from Lebanon and Gaza, and much than 150,000 rockets each this clip person targeted each inch of our territory. So, we person created three layers of protection. The archetypal is aerospace (i.e. Arrow 3 systems) and the 2nd is David’s Sling for cruise rocket threats and short-range missiles, and each of these systems support our radical connected a regular basis, and we stock the cognition of however we bash it.
One situation associated with systems similar the Iron Dome (third layer) is the precocious outgo of intercepting low-cost threats. Is Israel exploring ways to trim the outgo per interception, peculiarly successful scenarios involving wide drone oregon rocket attacks?
Yes, portion of this is to work with each kinds of “high-power laser” capabilities. These are included successful our semipermanent plans and are not presently available. But this is the future, and the R&D radical are working connected this solution, for drones and for the aerial defence system. However, I indispensable mention, we understand the request to beryllium economical. And if you look astatine the monolithic onslaught Israel received past year (i.e. Iranian onslaught / April 13-14) with hundreds of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and termination UAVs, we managed to woody with astir of the threats. The onslaught was carried retired with hundreds of missiles, and lone a fewer of them deed Israel, but not their targets. And it is worth noting that it is portion of our methodology to neutralize threats with short-range interceptors.
With ongoing discussions astir co-production, such arsenic Greek manufacture engagement successful the PULS Multiple Launch Rocket System – however bash you envision concern collaboration evolving, and to what extent?
I think together we tin bash much due to the fact that we tin bring our precocious technology to the accumulation enactment successful Greece. We did it successful some projects, and you tin go Israel’s gross to NATO. So, we are looking for NATO countries to work according to NATO rules and NATO tenders, and this is simply a benignant of vantage that we are looking for, and we tin bash much together and stock the wide project, which is to work connected the accumulation enactment successful Greece and nutrient together for European countries.
Is the use of facilities and fields successful Greece for testing caller systems included successful the discussions betwixt the two sides?
Yes, but unfortunately, I cannot spell into details. But successful each project, portion of the woody is however we bring our industries together for the payment of some of us.
At the upcoming DEFEA defence accumulation Israel will person a strong presence. What cardinal technologies oregon systems will beryllium highlighted and what strategic outcomes bash you expect from Israel’s participation?
DEFEA is simply a bully accidental to conscionable and talk to each other. It is simply a gathering betwixt our companies, our governments, and each sides connected the aforesaid days. And we bring high-quality products while astatine the aforesaid clip presenting quality capabilities for the effectiveness of crushed forces. What is important is that we are bringing successful a batch of small and medium-sized enterprises, and this is simply a bully accidental to look together astatine aboriginal opportunities for some countries and our industries.
One of the standout technologies astatine DEFEA is IAI’s BlueWhale autonomous submarine. Do you spot a aboriginal where autonomous platforms go cardinal to battlefield operations, and what implications mightiness that person for defence doctrine?
Yes, it is portion of our naval doctrine and the capabilities of the navy, which sometimes has to run without men successful the submarine assemblage to hunt for the force and destruct some of their capabilities without risking soldiers. This means that you tin nonstop the submarine and transportation retired your ngo quietly. So, I would accidental this is the future, and not lone successful the navy, but besides successful the tract of unmanned aerial vehicles. Today, UAVs bash what jets did successful the past, but without men successful the cockpit. And this is the future.
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