Greece becomes first EU member to rearm using relaxed deficit rules

A €25bn programme will mark a transition towards greater EU autonomy, while maintaining some balance of essential US weapons

Greece’s first Belharra frigate, the Kimon, is technically launched on 28 September 2023 (Video Courtesy Group Naval).

Greece on Wednesday [April 2] became the first European Union member to take advantage of relaxed spending rules for defence, announcing a €25bn ($27bn) multi-year rearmament programme.

The centrepiece of the programme was a multi-layered defence system called the Shield of Achilles, which prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told parliament was “essentially a dome combining existing air defences with new systems, offering protection on five levels – anti-missile, anti-ballistic, anti-aircraft, anti-ship, anti-submarine and anti-drone.”