Greece opposes Turkey's missile deal amidst rising tensions
The Greek authorities have expressed their opposition to the plans for selling Meteor missiles to Turkey, manufactured by an international consortium including France. We explain the capabilities of this weapon and why the authorities in Athens are taking such a firm stance on this matter.
Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias, after consultations with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, announced that he had met with the French Ambassador Laurence Auer. He asked her to provide Greece with official information regarding reports of the sale of Meteor missiles to Turkey.
Greece concerned about Turkey's plans
"I expressed to the French Ambassador Greece's strong opposition to such a possibility, which is inconsistent with the hitherto excellent strategic relations between the two countries," said Dendias.
Ankara is also interested in purchasing 40 Eurofighter Typhoon jets, which can be equipped with Meteor missiles. According to the eKathimerini portal, after nearly two years of negotiations, it has likely reached an agreement with Berlin regarding the purchase of these aircraft. Furthermore, it has already received preliminary approval from London, Madrid, and Rome, which must also give the green light for the Eurofighter Typhoon contract.
Modern missiles with a range of 200 kilometres
The sale of Meteor missiles also requires the consent of all members of the international consortium (in this case MBDA, which includes France). These are modern air-to-air missiles (produced serially from 2023) weighing about 190 kilograms. They have a range of 200 kilometres.
Compared to competitors equipped with a standard rocket engine, Meteor offers significantly better manoeuvrability in the final phase of flight due to the presence of a ramjet engine.
Ongoing tensions between Greece and Turkey
According to the French newspaper "La Tribune," the fate of the transaction involving Meteor missiles will be a test of relations between Athens and Paris. The eKathimerini portal reminds us that Greece has already purchased 24 French Rafale fighter jets. Thanks to this, it has gained air superiority over Turkey, which, in the overall assessment of army potential, is considered the second strongest force in NATO. In recent months, Ankara has increased its efforts to acquire arms that would surpass the capabilities of the Greek air fleet.
The relations between Greece and Turkey, both members of NATO, have remained very tense for years. The German newspaper "Die Welt" assessed back in 2022 that the conflict between these countries had turned into a "cold war in the Aegean Sea."
