Greece plans to spend $27 billion on a major defence overhaul by 2036, marking what Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis calls the “most drastic transformation” of its armed forces in modern history. The initiative aims to address rapidly changing geopolitical challenges and strengthen ties with European partners.
The country’s traditional focus on defence spending has been around 2% of gross domestic product, meeting NATO’s target due to decades of tension with Turkey. However, Greece is now setting aside more than 3% of its output for defence, putting it among the few NATO member states that do so.
Greece’s military budget has doubled this year to $6.6 billion. The country aims to become a key branch of the European Union’s defence mechanism, contributing one of the bloc’s most advanced armies. “The world is changing at an unforeseeable pace,” said Mitsotakis.
As part of its new strategy, Greece is seeking to acquire a new defensive dome called “Achilles’s Shield”, which includes enhanced anti-drone systems and unmanned vessels. France, Italy, Norway, and Israel are among the possible suppliers of this system.
Greece has historically justified its arms spending by pointing to territorial disputes with Turkey, but the country now seeks to strengthen its position in the Eastern Mediterranean region near conflict zones in the Middle East. The defence overhaul is seen as necessary for Greece to modernise its arsenal and address emerging threats.
Source: https://fortune.com/europe/2025/04/02