Khaberni - The Israeli newspaper "Jerusalem Post" stated that the massive military upgrade program launched by Greece is not just a deal to buy new fighter jets and missile systems, but it reflects a deep strategic shift in the Eastern Mediterranean, where Israel has emerged as an indispensable partner for Athens, with its defense industries playing a pivotal role in reshaping Greece's security situation to face Turkey's military expansion.
The largest upgrade in modern history
According to an analysis by "Jerusalem Post", the Greek military upgrade program, which extends from 2025 to 2036, is the most ambitious in modern Athens' history, aiming to transform the Greek armed forces into one of the most technologically advanced armies in Europe.
Athens allocates between 2 to 2.5 billion euros annually to enhance its deterrence capabilities, including major purchases of 20 "F-35" fighter jets, unmanned aerial systems, and advanced cyber systems, in addition to developing the "Achilles' Shield", a multilayered anti-drone air and missile defense network, with the Israeli systems playing a key role in it.
An arms race with Turkey
The newspaper mentioned that this Greek upgrade comes against the backdrop of Turkey's ambitious campaign to expand its defense capabilities and achieve self-sufficiency, aiming to meet nearly all of its military needs locally by 2030. After being excluded from the "F-35" program, Ankara's major projects include the fifth-generation fighter "KAAN" (KAAN), the "Altay" combat tank, in addition to upgrading the Turkish navy with new submarines and air defense destroyers.
In the field of missiles, the newspaper noted that Ankara is advancing strongly in the field of long-range and hypersonic systems, with the "Typhoon Block-4" ballistic missile having a range of up to 800 kilometers, and it has launched the "Steel Dome" program worth $6.5 billion, an air defense network designed to compete with Israel's "Iron Dome" and the Greek "Achilles' Shield".
Strategic partnership with Israel
According to "Jerusalem Post", these Turkish threats are not abstract for Greece, but represent a direct challenge that prompted Athens to accelerate its upgrade timeline.
The newspaper noted that Athens agreed to buy 36 "PULS" rocket launchers from the Israeli company "Elbit Systems", providing a long-range precision strike capability to directly confront the growing Turkish missile arsenal.
Serious consideration is also being given to acquiring the Israeli ballistic missile system "LORA", which has a range of up to 400 kilometers, and thus, the newspaper sees that Israel has become more than just a supplier, it has become a strategic partner providing technology that allows Greece to keep up with Ankara’s superiority.
The analysis concluded that the result is a regional arms race increasingly defined by parallel upgrade programs, while Turkey focuses on local production, Greece relies on partnerships, especially with Israel and France, but the strategic rationale is the same: "securing deterrence and ensuring freedom of action in a contested region".
