The Greek Armed Forces are reinforced with anti-UAVs systems but also with modern unmanned aircraft – What did the head of GEETHA, General Konstantinos Floros, see in Israel?
“Soon we will equalize them” had predicted a few years ago a supreme pilot referring to the rapid production and use of unmanned aircraft by Turkey.
And as everything shows, this period for the Greek Armed Forces has begun, since their reinforcement has been launched with anti-UAVs systems, but also with modern unmanned aircraft for all Branches.
The two-day trip of the Chief of General Staff, General Konstantinos Floros, to Israel in the previous ten days was also focused on the required interventions to shield the Greek air defense. It is characteristic that the Chief of General Staff visited the Israeli air base in Palmachim, where he was informed about the mission, organization, completion and levels of the Israeli air defense but also about the UAV Heron Squadron of the Israeli Air Force, with which the our country.
The Ministry of National Defense and the Staff are considering the possibility of acquiring UAVs with even more advanced capabilities, most likely offensive (ie with weapons). To date, the Armed Forces has only unmanned surveillance aircraft. It is also reported that the acquisition of three American MQ-9 UAVs has been launched, which have a huge range of action, up to 1,850 km, and can fly at 50,000 feet.
However, the interventions that are in progress concern all three Branches. The Navy has already been reinforced with 5 mini UAVs to be used by frigates. In addition, the UAV Architas built by the School of Naval Trials is being used experimentally, while the Belh @ rra frigates will also be unmanned. The Special Warfare Command also has small but efficient drones and UAVs.
It should also not be forgotten that the new Greek unmanned aerial vehicle, the Archytas program, which after 2 years will enter the production line from ODA in Tanagra, is in the final stretch. The first flight of the state-of-the-art VTOL UAV is expected to take place in about two years. And then the production line will be put into operation so that the first ones can be delivered to the Armed Forces. Also, according to information, the possibility of modernization of the Greek-made Pegasus UAVs owned by the Armed Forces with the addition of armaments is being studied.
Targeted moves are made simultaneously in order to raise the level of the Greek air defense and to acquire capabilities for an effective response to the Turkish unmanned using anti-drones and anti-UAVs systems. GEETHA officials have been examining such systems for a long time.
In fact, during his visit to the Palmachim base in Israel, the Chief of General Staff was informed about the Iron Dome, David’s Sling and Arrow 3 air defense systems. its operation and support. It should be noted that anti-drone systems have been presented to the Ministry of Defense and the General Directorate of Defense and other countries and companies, and officials are studying which system has the best potential to prevent large-scale delinquency of Turkish drones in the Aegean.
It is obvious that Ankara uses the dozens of its own production UAVs for the violations of our National Airspace for two reasons. And for reasons of economy, since the unmanned do not need fuel, but also for psychological reasons. The “gap” in the way of effective response to UAVs by the Greek Armed Forces has been realized.
Information states that the Greek Pentagon is looking for a system of countermeasures in Turkish UAVs that will be both smart and effective. Obviously, a system that will shoot down the drones that do violations is not sought. After all, the Greek air defense has this possibility even now. But it is easy to see that such an action would be… butter on the bread of Ankara to provoke a hot episode.
Under these circumstances, the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff want to strengthen the Armed Forces with a system that will be able to detect UAVs in a timely manner (perhaps with advanced radar) and then be able to “blind” them and even intervene in their software. In other words, the goal is for the enemy UAVs to be diverted before they even enter our National Airspace.
