Athens, Greece. During the DEFEA 2025 exhibition, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Hellenic Aerospace Industry (HAI) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on May 7 to offer IAI’s BlueWhale autonomous submarine system to the Hellenic Navy. This unique collaboration between the Hellenic and Israeli Aerospace Industries represents a significant milestone in the mutual defence and business cooperation between the two nations.
As part of the partnership, HAI will take on a pivotal role in the production and technological evolution of the BlueWhale autonomous submarine system based on HAI’s extensive experience designing, developing and producing complex technological systems. Through the MoU, HAI will have access to IAI’s cutting-edge technology, with opportunities for technology transfer and active involvement in projects of substantial operational significance.
Developed by IAI, BlueWhale is a large uncrewed underwater vehicle measuring 10.9 metres long, 1.12 metres in diameter and weighing 5.5 tons. It can perform a wide range of covert maritime missions, including intelligence-gathering above the sea surface, submarines and underwater target detection, acoustic intelligence collection and search for and detect naval mines on the seabed.
The autonomous submarine can perform a significant portion of a crewed submarine’s operations for several weeks at minimal cost and maintenance and without risking operators. BlueWhale has been successfully deployed for thousands of diving hours and has demonstrated its effectiveness across multiple mission profiles, including ISR, EW/ESM and MCM.
IAI President and CEO, Boaz Levy, commented, “We are proud to strengthen our partnership with the Hellenic Aerospace Industry through this strategic agreement, further enhancing the defence capabilities of Greece. This collaboration reflects our deep commitment to supporting Greece’s defence priorities by offering cutting-edge, operationally proven solutions while fostering local industry, technological independence and long-term regional resilience. Together both nations’ aerospace industries are expanding the boundaries of maritime intelligence and surveillance to better protect national interests and stability.”
IAI’s EVP and ELTA’s CEO, Dror Bar, said, “BlueWhale represents a transformational leap in maritime defence. It delivers the advanced capabilities of a crewed submarine. Today’s MoU marks an exciting step forward in our commitment to advancing Greece’s maritime security and operational readiness with cutting-edge, autonomous technology.”
HAI’s CEO, Rear Admiral (ret.) Alexandros Diakopoulos, remarked, “This strategic collaboration marks a step forward in strengthening Greece’s undersea defence capabilities. The potential integration and co-production of BlueWhale deepens the bilateral ties and represents a leap toward technological autonomy for our country. The Aegean Sea is characterised by complex geography and the ability to conduct persistent surveillance can ensure rapid response and operational advantage. The deployment of the BlueWhale will offer Hellenic Armed Forces with the advantages of an robust solution that combines anti-submarine warfare, mine countermeasures and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.”
