Greek Air Force Takes Interest in Rafael’s Advanced Spider Air Defense System Amidst Rising Tensions with Turkey”.

Greek Air Force officials recently met with senior executives from Rafael, the Israeli arms manufacturer, to discuss the possibility of purchasing the Spider air defense system. During the meeting, Micha Ron, an executive at Rafael, presented the advanced capabilities of the Spider system and its effectiveness in countering various aerial threats.

The Greek Air Force’s interest in the Spider system was sparked two and a half months after Greece received approval from the United States to purchase 40 F-35 fighter jets for around 8.6 billion euros. Meanwhile, Turkey has strengthened its ties with the Biden administration and is expected to purchase F-16 aircraft and upgrade packages from the US for $20 billion.

The Spider air defense system, presented by Rafael, has been in operational use in several countries around the world and is known for its advanced capabilities. It provides defense solutions against a variety of aerial threats, including drones, airplanes, helicopters, and long-range ballistic missiles. The system uses interceptors made by Rafael to counter these threats effectively.

Rafael recently introduced a new configuration for the Spider system called All in One configuration that includes an integrated radar, electro-optical payload, command and control system, and interceptors all on one vehicle. This configuration offers optimal air defense for point defense or protection against maneuvering forces and can be operated by a minimal team of operators.

In January 2021, Israel conducted a successful test of the Spider system in its new configuration where it demonstrated its capability to intercept a UAV in a challenging operational scenario with a direct and accurate hit. The system has proven effective in various scenarios making it an asset for countries looking to enhance their air defense capabilities.

As tensions continue to rise in the region between Greece and Turkey’s drone manufacturing industry poses a significant threat to Greece’s neighbors due to their advanced drone manufacturing industry such as Bayraktar TB2 which are actively used in military operations worldwide with high demand globally