Greece’s planned €3 billion “Achilles Shield” air-defense program is facing renewed scrutiny over the involvement of Israeli defense companies and concerns surrounding surveillance, sovereignty and dependence on foreign technology. The program is being developed largely around systems supplied by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Rafael. IAI’s involvement has drawn particular attention because of its previous links to Cytrox, the company associated with Predator spyware.
According to Greek newspaper Documento, IAI held a 31 percent stake in Cytrox in 2017, the year the company developed Predator spyware. The spyware was later used to target a Greek journalist and senior officials in a surveillance scandal widely known as “Greek Watergate.” IAI has since sold its stake in Cytrox and has said that its cyber-technology activities are limited to defensive applications. The company’s role in the Achilles Shield program has nevertheless revived concerns among critics in Greece over the use of Israeli technology in sensitive military infrastructure.
Moshe Patel, head of Israel’s Missile Defense Organization, told Greek daily Kathimerini that Greece would not receive the source code covered by the agreement’s license. Israel would instead continue to provide technical support and maintenance for the systems. The arrangement has prompted questions about Greece’s technological dependence on Israeli defense companies, particularly regarding long-term control and maintenance of critical elements of the country’s air-defense infrastructure.
Critics have also raised concerns about the level of public scrutiny and transparency surrounding the €3 billion program, amid broader debate in Greece over surveillance practices and the country’s military and logistical cooperation with Israel and the United States. The reported links between IAI and Cytrox do not establish that the Achilles Shield systems themselves incorporate Predator spyware or related surveillance technology. The concerns instead center on IAI’s corporate history and the broader implications of relying on an Israeli company for critical defense infrastructure.
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