Greece looks to Israel for anti-drone defence help

Greece and Israel plan to increase cooperation in security and defence, Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias and his Israeli counterpart Israel Katz said on Tuesday following talks in Athens.

An agreement has been reached to share knowledge on how to counter swarms of aerial drones and submarine drones, Dendias said.

Cooperation on defeating cyber threats would also be extended, the Greek defence minister added.

Katz warned against attempts to establish new empires in the eastern Mediterranean region. Plans of this kind were doomed to fail, he said.

The increased cooperation is taking place amid continuing regional tensions, primarily involving Türkiye. Greece is constantly confronted with territorial disputes and military operations concerning its eastern neighbour, a fellow member of NATO.

According to government sources, Athens has initiated acquisition of modern air and missile defences based on Israel's Iron Dome technology. The aim is to modernize the country's air defences and replace obsolete Russian systems.