Greece’s planned acquisition of the Achilles Shield air and missile defense system from Israel has come under scrutiny over criticism that the project could create technological dependence on Israel, as well as concerns about its source code and command-and-control infrastructure.
Critics argued that the backgrounds of the Israeli companies involved in supplying the system should also be examined. Israel Aerospace Industries reportedly held a 31% stake in Cytrox, the company that developed the Predator spyware, in 2017 and was represented on its board.
Cytrox later became part of the Intellexa network, which was linked to Tal Dilian, a former Israeli intelligence officer. The Predator spyware was associated with a scandal in Greece involving the surveillance of politicians’ and journalists’ phones.
Control of the system under debate
The Achilles Shield’s critical components consist of sensors, interception systems and a command-and-control center. Military sources argued that Israel could retain the system’s “keys,” potentially making Greece dependent on Israeli diplomacy.
The same assessments also highlighted that the United States had not purchased the system. The reasons cited included Washington’s inability to control the system fully and Israel’s refusal to transfer all of the critical technology.
These assessments have intensified questions about the scope of Greece’s authority over the source code and command-and-control infrastructure. Former Ambassador Vasilis Bornovas said access to source code was one of the fundamental issues in procuring similar weapons systems.
The system’s purpose and public criticism
Bornovas argued that not all elements of the Achilles Shield were directed specifically at Türkiye. He said a significant part of the system was being assessed in the context of potential threats from Russia and the north, adding that the current tensions between Türkiye and Israel might not be permanent and that both countries had strong armies.
Themis Tzimas, a faculty member at the University of Nicosia’s Faculty of Law, argued that a defense agreement on the scale of the Achilles Shield was being advanced without providing the public with sufficient information. Tzimas described the process as the “dissolution of national defense.”
902. Gr, which is close to the Communist Party of Greece, argued that the system planned to be procured from Israel could create new risks instead of increasing the country’s security.
Critics also argued that Israeli officials had conducted a detailed examination of military infrastructure in Greece to determine where the system’s components would be deployed, potentially giving them extensive information about the country’s critical military facilities.
