Greece’s planned acquisition of the Achilles Shield air and missile defense system from Israel has come under criticism over who would control its source code and command-and-control infrastructure. Critics argue that the project could make Greece dependent on Israeli technology and create new security risks.
The backgrounds of the Israeli companies involved in supplying the system should also be examined, critics argued. Israel Aerospace Industries held a 31 percent stake in Cytrox, the company that developed the Predator spyware in 2017, and was represented on its board of directors.
Cytrox later became part of the Intellexa network linked to Tal Dilian, a former Israeli intelligence officer. Predator was associated with a spyware scandal in Greece involving the surveillance of politicians’ and journalists’ phones.
Concerns over control and source code
The Achilles Shield’s critical components consist of sensors, interception systems and a command-and-control center. Military sources argue that Israel could retain the system’s “keys,” potentially making Greece dependent on Israeli diplomacy.
The United States’ failure to purchase the Achilles Shield has also drawn attention. The reasons cited include Washington’s inability to establish full control over the system and Israel’s refusal to transfer all of the critical technology.
These views have heightened questions about the limits of Greece’s authority over the source code and command-and-control infrastructure. Former Ambassador Vasilis Bornovas said that access to source codes is one of the fundamental issues in procuring similar weapons systems.
Assessment of threats from Türkiye, Russia and the north
Bornovas argued that not all elements of the Achilles Shield are aimed directly at Türkiye. He said a significant part of the system is being assessed in the context of potential threats from Russia and the north, adding that the current tensions between Türkiye and Israel may not be permanent and that both countries have powerful militaries.
Themis Tzimas, a faculty member at the University of Nicosia’s School 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 dismantling of national defense.”
902.gr, which is close to the Communist Party of Greece, also argued that the system planned for acquisition from Israel could create new risks rather than improve the country’s security.
Critics also alleged that Israeli officials had conducted a detailed examination of Greece’s military infrastructure to determine where the system’s components would be deployed. They claimed that the process could give them extensive information about the country’s critical military facilities.
