Israel-Greece air defence deal to be 'scaled up' with UAE as contender, sources say
Israel plans to “scale up” the export of the layered air-defence system it sold to Greece, with the UAE as its desired buyer, one current and one former US official familiar with ongoing discussions told Middle East Eye.
Talks between Israel and the UAE, taking place alongside the US, are focused on how Israel can address a gap in the Emirates’ “layered defence” capabilities, the current US official told MEE.
Israel’s $3.5bn sale to Greece on Monday is being described as a model for how it can export its systems and design to other partners.
“This is a profit machine for Israel that they are looking to scale up,” the former US official familiar with the matter told MEE.
“Israel’s layered air defence systems are cheaper and more exportable than ours [the US’s],” they added.
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The UAE is a prime candidate because it already cooperates on defence with Israel.
The US said that Israel deployed Iron Dome missile defence batteries and technicians to the UAE during the height of fighting with Iran earlier this year. The Financial Times reported that Israel also sent a drone detection platform to the UAE.
MEE revealed in May that the two countries sealed a deal to pursue the joint development and acquisition of weapons systems.
The UAE already operates US-made Patriot and Thaad air defence systems. The Breaking Defence news site reported in 2022 that the UAE also purchased Israel's Barak air defence system.
"[But] the UAE does not have a fully layered air-defence system," the US official told MEE.
Israel and the Mecca Pact
The discussions underscore how Israel is moving to integrate its technology with strategic partners. Greece and the Republic of Cyprus sit at the western end of a network that includes the UAE and India to the east.
Last month, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey joined together in a mutual defence agreement called the Mecca Pact, which many see as a potential rival to Israel’s partnerships.
Saudi Arabia and its partners say they want to bolster defence cooperation, but have yet to unveil any big ticket items. Neither Turkey nor Pakistan have publicly acknowledged coming to Saudi Arabia’s support as it has faced attacks from Houthi fighters in Yemen.
Exporting air defence systems is complex because they contain many moving parts including command and control systems, sensors, radar, interceptors and launchers. The tiered air defence system that Israel has sold Greece is even more complex because it is designed to address a variety of threats.
Under the deal sealed with Greece, Israel will help design and supply components for an all-encompassing air defence system Greece is developing called Achilles Shield.
Israel’s defence ministry said this is the first time in history it will “supply a complete defense array against a wide range of threats - from ballistic missiles and aerial threats to hostile unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)”.
Greece has purchased Israel's David's Sling and SPYDER systems produced by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and the Barak MX system made by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), as well as MMR multi-mission radars for air surveillance, manufactured by IAI unit ELTA Systems.
Greece will be only the second customer for Israel’s David’s Sling after Finland, a fellow Nato member that borders Russia.
The Republic of Cyprus purchased and took delivery of Israel's Barak defence system in December 2024, according to Greek media.
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