Athens, Greece – On Wednesday, Greece became the first member of the European Union to benefit from the comfortable spending rules for defense, announcing a multi -year armament program worth $ 25 billion (27 billion dollars).

The axis of the program was a multi-layer defensive system called the Achilles shield, which told Prime Minister Kiriacos Mitsotakis that Parliament “is mainly a dome that combines current air defenses with new systems, providing protection on five-level-level levels for Massoli, anti-time, anti-study, anti-purple, and anti-escaping.”

It was the first comprehensive armament in Greece, and it was part of a broader reform of the armed forces called the 2030 agenda.

Mitsotakis described the transformation as “the most severe transformation in the history of the armed forces in the country.”

While the world changes at the “unpredictable pace”, he said: “We are now facing a different kind of war from what we are accustomed to – at least of the type that our armed forces have been prepared.”

Greece is the solo -high defense due to its hostile relationship with Turkiye, and it is scheduled to spend 3 percent of the total local products (GDP) on the defense.

This is much higher than the European average of 1.9 percent, as estimated by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

Amid a Russian war in Europe and the controversial devotion to the United States, the European Union last month I decided to raise It reaches 650 billion euros ($ 705 billion) in additional defense spending on books.

The total defensive spending in Europe in 2023 was $ 569 billion.

The European Union also provided member states 150 billion euros ($ 163 billion) in low -interest loans to strengthen European defense industries.

The front lines in the Greek and Poland line fought strongly for comfortable financial rules, and Mitsotakis went further in Parliament.

“The Greek government believes that at some point Europe needs to create a fund that focuses on participation [defence] Benefits such as the European anti -Motisy shield that will cover all European countries and can be funded by European grants to member states, not loans. “We are not there yet,” said Mitsotakis.

Mitsotakis’s thinking was that Brussels could collect money at a cheap price more than most individual member states, so the collective subscription was more effective in terms of cost to borrow individually.

The European Union issued the first mutual debt during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, which led to the establishment of a stimulating fund of $ 730 billion (805 billion dollars).

Arming funds 150 billion euros ($ 165 billion), which are called security measures for Europe (safe) made of remaining funds in this fund.

From bankruptcy to European autonomy

Greece has traditionally bought American weapons, but bankruptcy in the global financial crisis after 2008 achieved a more pro -Europe path.

Years of austerity fell to half of its defensive budget to $ 4.6 billion by 2010 and 2014. At the same time, a Turkish economy and defense budgets grew.

Since he was carefully deported on balanced budgets, Greece decided to replace the quantity, as it is no longer able to compete with Turkiye, with quality, and requested more advanced weapons systems.

The United States did not need to maintain a balance between its allies in the eastern Mediterranean, so Greece immigrated to the European regimes that Turkiye did not enjoy.

This helped it an early shift in the issue of European strategic autonomy, which was defended by France President Emmanuel Macron.

In September 2019, Greece announced that it would buy 18 French fighter launchers for $ 2.5 billion, and raised this number to 24 years yet.

In 2021, Greece formulated a strategic defensive treaty with France, as it requested three frigates from the latest state of Belaharra from the France Naval Group for 2.26 billion euros (2.5 billion dollars), with an option for the fourth.

Prime Minister Mitsotakis praised the agreement in Parliament as the cornerstone of the independent European defense policy.

“Defending European interests in the Mediterranean Sea now acquires a new material,” Mitsotakis He said Parliament four years ago. “If you are attacked, our country will have the strongest army on its side, the only European nuclear force.”

All 24 rafales have been handed over in record time, and the first frigate, which was originally developed to the French Navy, will be delivered this year.

Pelharla carries a French weapons and radar from MBDA, Thales and Dassautu. These include ASTER-30 Hypersonic missiles, surface to the air, able to travel in four and a half sound speeds, amazing aircraft, drones, accompanied ballistic missiles, MU90, and the latest 200 km (124 miles) Antiship Antiship and Radar Sear Thales.

Rafale also carries French weapons, including 100 km air missiles and air (60 miles) and scalp missiles to the surface over an area of ​​500 km (310 mph).

Last September, the Greek Minister of National Defense Nicos Dinidias said that the second, third and fourth Pelharla frigates will carry the navy strategic missile in the scalp, with a group of more than 1000 km (620 miles).

None of these weapons have been sold to Turkiye, although the United Kingdom, part of the MBDA, is now seeking to sell a meteorite missile to Ankara.

“After 1976, we had a base 7:10.”

“This has permeated all systems. In recent years, this has changed. We are not looking for fit but a qualitative feature. Scalp missiles and nicure are qualitative advantages on the Greek side,” he said to the island of the island.

The maximum priority in Greece is to build its own defensive industrial base, and 12 percent of the Bilahara contracts go to Greek companies. Dendias said it aims to put Greek companies in a consortium construction of the European patrol as well.

But Greece does not turn its back on the United States.

In 2018, Greece formulated a $ 1.3 billion deal with the United States Lockheed Martin to upgrade 85 of its F-16 fighter capacity to the VIPER level, and to install radar and advanced arms systems on board.

Last year, 20 fifth-generation F-35 aircraft from Lockheed Martin, and Greek companies wanted to participate in developing the USA Conservative Group from the next generation.

“Greece is binding on a balance between the United States and Europe in defense, as this enhances its position better,” said Konstantinos Felis, a professor of international relations at the US -Greek College. ))