Whether Greece will have access to the source code of the system has become a subject of debate under the roughly €3 billion Achilles Shield air defense agreement signed between Greece and Israel.
Moshe Patel, director of the Israel Missile Defense Organization, said in an interview with a Greek newspaper that Greece would not have access to the source code linked to the command-and-control system. Patel said the source code was not included in the usage license under the agreement.
Opposition calls on government to clarify issue
The opposition Panhellenic Socialist Movement called on the government to clarify whether Greece would have access to the system’s source code.
Michalis Katrinis, PASOK’s lawmaker responsible for defense affairs, recalled that Defense Minister Nikos Dendias had said in a speech on July 23 that the procurement process for systems intended for the Hellenic Armed Forces would not move forward unless access to their source code was provided.
Katrinis said a statement issued by the Israeli Defense Ministry on August 31 indicated that the new national command-and-control infrastructure would be developed by the Israeli company Rafael. The Greek lawmaker said these statements had raised questions about ownership of the source code and authorization to access it.
Katrinis asked, "Will the Achilles Shield source code ultimately belong to Greece?" Saying that he had brought the issue before Parliament on September 1, Katrinis announced that they were awaiting a written response from the Defense Ministry.
Scope of the agreement
The agreement signed in Tel Aviv on August 31 plans to establish a multilayered air defense network in Greece. The project includes David’s Sling systems and the Barak MX system developed by Israel Aerospace Industries, along with other defense and radar components.
The agreement also includes Rafael’s Spyder system, MMR-type multipurpose radars developed by Israel Aerospace Industries, and a new national command-and-control system to be developed under Rafael’s leadership.
Katrinis said the source-code issue was important for protecting national interests in a defense procurement worth billions of euros and called for the agreement’s technical and legal provisions to be made public.
Technology transfer statements also under debate
Some Greek publications wrote that information provided by Israel referred to technology transfer to the Hellenic Armed Forces and the joint use of software and technology, but did not explicitly state that the source code would be delivered.
These assessments argued that Patel’s statement that the source code was not included in the usage license appeared to contradict Greece’s earlier statements. Some publications also claimed that the question-and-answer section of an interview had been removed from the website and that the text was later updated on the basis of new information.
Other opposition criticism
The Greek Left Alliance, founded by former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, said the lack of access to the source code raised serious questions about management of the system and the protection of national interests.
The party argued that Greece’s dependence on external actors could increase if it did not have full control over the system. Opposition parties also said the agreement could increase dependence on Israel in the defense sector and create a financial burden for Greek taxpayers.
Former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis also described the agreement as "shameful" and argued that the government in Athens had harmed the country’s interests through the deal.
