The Greece-Israel agreement to develop the “Achilles Shield” is expected to have positive implications for Cyprus, creating the conditions for wider geostrategic coordination on air defence from the Aegean to the Eastern Mediterranean, according to international relations expert Christos Iakovou, Director of the Cyprus Centre for Strategic Studies (KYKEM).
Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency (CNA), Iakovou said the agreement, signed in Tel Aviv on Monday, should not be viewed simply as Greece purchasing a single weapons system.
A multi-layered air defence network
The “Achilles Shield” is an integrated, multi-layered air defence network designed to bring different systems together under a unified command and control structure.
According to Iakovou, the network includes capabilities to counter ballistic missiles and other threats, protect against aircraft and missiles, and monitor airspace.
“Therefore, we have a unified network for dealing with threats,” he said.
Iakovou said the key question was why Greece had chosen to proceed with the agreement. Although the deal refers to regional threats, he said Turkey and its military capabilities were clearly part of Greece’s defence considerations.
Turkey has aircraft, cruise missiles, a large fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles and ballistic missiles, he noted.
The experience of conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine has also led to a reassessment of modern defence strategies, he said, highlighting the need for technologically advanced armed forces and multi-layered air defence.
Israel’s role in the agreement
Iakovou said Greece was adopting a different approach to defence, seeking to create several layers that an adversary would have to penetrate before being able to strike Greek targets.
He highlighted Israel’s role as Greece’s partner, saying the country had developed highly advanced capabilities in missile and air defence through extensive military experience.
The agreement, he added, places Greece-Israel relations on a new footing, beyond their existing cooperation in energy and defence.
“Now we have geostrategic coordination,” he said.
Cyprus at the centre of wider coordination
According to Iakovou, this wider coordination could directly affect Cyprus because of its geographical position.
“With this system, a unified geostrategic coordination is being created, beginning in the Aegean and extending into the Eastern Mediterranean,” he told CNA.
He said Cyprus would inevitably be included in the broader framework because of its position within the area covered by the emerging cooperation.
The development is also expected to prompt reactions from Turkey, Iakovou said.
He further argued that agreements of this nature would not normally be signed without US approval, adding that this gives the Greece-Israel deal additional geopolitical significance.
A changing regional security architecture
Overall, Iakovou said the “Achilles Shield” should not be viewed simply as another Greek defence procurement programme.
Instead, he described it as part of a broader restructuring of the region’s security architecture.
The agreement strengthens military and strategic cooperation between Greece and Israel while creating new dynamics stretching from the Aegean to the Eastern Mediterranean, with Cyprus positioned within this wider strategic framework.
Also read: Israel on alert over possible Turkish provocations, Cyprus in focus
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