France seeks Greek air defence aid for 2024 Paris Olympics security

According to the Greek newspaper "Kathimerini", France is grappling with a shortage of air defense systems. Paris has reportedly asked Athens to lend such weapons for the duration of the summer Olympics, set to take place in the summer of 2024. This request highlights the types of equipment involved.

France ranks among the countries most devoted to supporting Ukraine. Its assistance includes a variety of military hardware, encompassing air defense systems. Although not all resources have been committed, it appears that the volume allocated has resulted in a significant shortfall. To bridge this gap, the support of an ally seems the most plausible solution. Greece, which possesses Crotale NG air defense systems procured from France itself years ago, is the prime candidate for this role.

Athens maintains a rather strict policy regarding its weapon systems due to its geographical location in a tense region. Nevertheless, lending such systems for a specific period, especially for an event as significant as the Olympic Games, appears more feasible.

"If our allies seek assistance for a particular occasion—in this instance, for the Olympic Games—and it's an effort that won't compromise our country's defence capabilities, we will comply, but only after thorough consultations between both parties. However, I want to underline—the support is for a designated period," government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis told Greek reporters.

The Crotale is an air defense mechanism developed by the Thomson-CSF conglomerate in the 70s, with the Crotale NG being its enhanced version, introduced in 1990. Depending on its variant, the Crotale NG launcher carries four or eight missiles, which can accelerate to speeds exceeding 3.5 Ma (around 4300 km/h).

The manufacturer cites its range as up to 16 kilometres, and it can reach altitudes of about 9 kilometres. The missiles equipped in the Crotale NG carry fragmentation-blast warheads weighing about 13 kilograms.

Information available online suggests that the Paris Olympic Games' air security might include, besides the Greek Crotale NG, other systems retained by France. This includes the SAMP/T air defense systems as well as aircraft from the French Air Force's arsenal. Chief among these are the Mirage 2000-5 fighters and the Rafale multi-role aircraft, which represent the pinnacle of French air force technology.