Greece has inked a weapons deal with Israel that will see a $3.5bn multi-layered air defence system delivered to Athens in what is the largest defence agreement ever between the two countries.The agreement, signed on Monday in Tel Aviv, comes as Greece’s relations with its neighbour and rival, Turkiye, have grown more sour. It also, however, breaks with a broader European wariness of being seen as too close to Israel, following the genocidal war on Gaza and Israel’s increasingly blatant efforts to annex the occupied West Bank.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4The Bulgarian village that fears becoming an Iranian targetlist 2 of 4Why India is sharing missile secrets with its private sectorlist 3 of 4Kyiv launches criminal probe into arms depot attack that killed dozenslist 4 of 4Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye meet: What’s next for their defence pact?end of listGreece and Israel have long shared economic and diplomatic ties. They’ve also regularly conducted joint military exercises.The new purchase is part of Greece’s plans to modernise its military by 2030. Athens will spend about 28 billion euros ($32bn) by 2036 to build the Israeli defence system, known collectively in Greece as the Achilles Shield, as well as to buy up to 40 F-35 fighter jets from the United States and frigates from France and Italy.Achilles Shield, which was negotiated over three years, will be delivered in stages. It is scheduled to reach full operational readiness within 35 months.Here’s what we know about the deal:Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shakes hands with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis during a joint press conference in West Jerusalem, December 22, 2025 [Abir Sultan/Reuters]What is included?According to a statement by the Israeli Ministry of Defence, the Achilles Shield comprises three core systems: