Tel Aviv: Greece is in negotiations with Israel in order to improve the capabilities of its air defence systems and address threats posed by Turkey’s different types of armed drones.
Turkish drones, including the Bayraktar TB2, Akinci, Anka, and Aksungur, are frequently mentioned by Greek military and government authorities as the main cause of increased strategic worry. These UAVs have demonstrated their usefulness in conflicts such as those involving Ukraine and Azerbaijan-Armenia and are frequently used for surveillance and airspace violations over the Aegean Sea.
Counter-drone measures, such as active and passive anti-UAV defences created in collaboration with allies, particularly Israel, are now a major component of Greek security tactics.
To address the threat posed by Turkish UAVs, Greece has purchased counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) technologies from Israel, including versions akin to the Drone Dome. These devices are used to “blind” and interfere with drone operations in and around islands and other sensitive regions.
Greek issues are present in the fields of diplomacy and policy. Greece has vehemently resisted Turkey’s involvement in EU programmes aimed at countering drone threats, like the “EU Drone Wall,” which attempts to improve and coordinate drone tracking and neutralisation across member nations. Additionally, Turkey’s proposed drone bases and competition sites are viewed as calculated actions meant to bolster Turkish air superiority and create forward-operating capabilities in the Aegean, a development that Athens closely monitors.
Turkish drone airspace violations over Greek land have been known to rise, increasing by more than 170% in some years. Greek sources report hundreds of these infractions each year. The Navy has put new monitoring protocols in place, and the Greek Air Force frequently reacts by rushing jets to intercept or tail Turkish UAVs. Continued Greek investment in multilayer counter-drone defence is encouraged by the ongoing worries fueled by the ongoing monitoring, intelligence collection, and potential for offensive drone use against Greek locations, particularly around contested islands.
While talks with Israel continue on the acquisition of anti-drone systems, Greece has developed one. This systems is dubbed “Centauros”. It was developed by the state-run Hellenic Aerospace Industry (HAI).
-The writer is an Israel-based freelance journalist. The views expressed are of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
