Blog

By Ioannis Baltzoi*

Recently, the 12-year Long-Term Defense Armaments Planning (LTDP) was presented to the Greek Parliament by Prime Minister Mitsotakis and Minister of Defense Dendias. The LTDP is the program that determines the country's current threat and shapes our defense policy, where we were informed that for our defense spending over a 12-year period, until 2037, it is planned to spend around 25 billion euros. In the announcements of the Prime Minister and the Minister of National Defense, specific weapons systems were not revealed, but the policy that will be followed for the best defense and security of the homeland. The only program for which more information was given was the explanations for the famous A/A (Anti-Aircraft) Dome. Thus, the creation of an anti-missile-anti-ballistic umbrella, called "Achilles' Shield", which had already been announced a few months earlier, has an emblematic place in our defense program.

The MFA focuses on three main axes, as announced:

A. Equipment programs which include modern weapons, drones, anti-aircraft and anti-missile systems.

B. Technological integration modern systems in the Armed Forces, with cyber defense as a priority.

C. Defense procurement must necessarily include cooperation with the domestic defense industry, so that the new weapons systems include Greek components and know-how. The competent Minister of Defense, Mr. Dendias, emphatically pointed out that the participation of the Greek defense industry should amount to at least 25% in all equipment.

We will not refer to all the defense programs that have been announced from time to time, but to the one that was given special importance, the new A/A Protection Dome, which will safely cover the country, from Northern Evros to Kastelorizo, with the emblematic name "Achilles' Shield". A very ambitious and original anti-aircraft-anti-ballistic system and not only that, which will also incorporate the existing anti-aircraft systems that Greece has and is active. As Homer mentions in the Iliad, Achilles, the bravest hero of the epic, used during the Trojan War, a powerful shield that was specially forged for him by the god Hephaestus, at the request of his mother, which consisted of five different levels of protection.

Thus, the "Achilles Shield" that the Ministry of Defense aspires to implement, for the air defense protection of the Greek territory, literally has five levels of protection, to address all forms of modern threats. A dome, essentially, that will combine existing air defense means with new additional capabilities, which will be able to protect us at the following five levels:

A. Anti-missile-Anti-ballistic Threats.

B. Anti-UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles)

C. Against Threats from Aircraft.

D. Against Threats from Ships

E. Against Submarine Threats

And as the Prime Minister stated in Parliament, "This very important project, which is perhaps the largest investment we will make in the coming years, must be able to include domestic added value.". The cost of the "Achilles Shield", according to current estimates and calculations, will amount to approximately 2,8 billion euros and will include long-, medium- and short-range weapon systems, a radar network that will identify and categorize all targets, attack them with the help of artificial intelligence (AI), while an underwater threat monitoring system (Submarines) will also be added to this system.

It is clear that European capabilities are limited, but Greece has a strategic alliance with Israel. It is estimated, possibly as a result of Mr. Mitsotakis' visit to Jerusalem and due to our excellent and strategic relations with Israel, to provide us with such capabilities, since it has experience and a strong defense industry, building its famous triple dome, which consists of three anti-aircraft-anti-ballistic systems: The Iron Dome, for short distances, the David Sling for medium distances and the Arrow 3 for very long distances. Our cooperation with Israel is considered imperative and already through ELKAK, the Greek Center for Development and Innovation, important steps are being taken on how we will be able to develop the ecosystem of start-ups around defense. How it will ultimately be implemented, which systems will be included in the "Achilles Shield" and what its final form will be, we will know when it begins to be implemented. And the fact alone that the announcements about the creation of the Dome greatly disturbed the Turkish leaders is a positive sign that the equipment is moving in the right and nationally necessary direction.

*Ioannis Baltzoi is an Antgos (n.a.), M.Sc in Geopolitics, president of ELISME.