Greece interested in 'Iron Dome'-style defense amid drone threats

"The nation must shield itself… Examining the conflict in Ukraine, we have concluded that it is imperative to construct an anti-aircraft and anti-drone dome," Minister Dendias emphasized during his appearance on Skai TV, where he announced the plan to develop an air defense system for Greece.

His words have reignited a debate on this topic, which has been ongoing for the last several years at the highest levels of government, notes the eKathimerini website.

The Greek news service, discussing the government's plan in Athens, stresses that neighboring Turkey possesses a significant number of various types of unmanned aerial vehicles. It adds that these drones pose a serious threat to the Greek armed forces. The website points out that Turkish drones have been used in various conflicts, such as those in Libya, Ukraine, and Azerbaijan, demonstrating the Turks' practical knowledge of using these devices.

Currently, Greece operates two types of air defense systems. The first one is designed to counter hostile aircraft, ballistic missiles, and rockets and neutralize them. This system includes, among others, interceptor aircraft, S-300, Patriot, HAWK, and Crotale systems. The second system is intended to defend against drones by jamming their guidance system (soft kill). Greece plans to enhance this second system into a so-called hard kill, enabling it to attack and shoot down hostile unmanned aerial vehicles.

As the defense minister announced, in the coming years, Greece will work to create a unified air defense system by combining the two current systems.