The Hellenic Ministry of National Defense and the Israeli Ministry of Defense have signed a landmark agreement for the procurement of the Israeli made Precise & Universal Launching System (PULS).
The $750 million contract secures 36 of the multiple rocket launchers for the Hellenic Armed Forces over the next four years, as well as an additional ten years of technical support.
The PULS system, manufactured by ELBIT Systems, has the capability to launch a variety of precision guided munitions, such as the 35-km (~22-mile) Accular rockets, the 150-kilometer (~93-mile) EXTRA rockets, and the 300-kilometer (~186-mile) Predator Hawk ballistic missiles.
The PULS system will be deployed in Greece’s strategically important regions of Evros in Thrace and the eastern Aegean islands, constituting an integral part of Greece’s new air and missile defense network called Achilles Shield.
This defense network will consist of existing assets such as Raytheon’s Patriot air defense system, the short range Spyder All-in-One developed by Rafael and “soft kill” counter-drone systems.
The Greek government is also in discussions with Israel regarding the acquisition of the long-range David’s Sling defense system also developed by Rafael, as well as the medium-range Barak MX developed by Israel Aerospace Industries.
At the same time, Greece is marking the delivery of the 50th Viper configuration F-16 to the Hellenic Air Force. This milestone is part of the Greek Air Force’s F-16 modernization program that will see a total of 84 aircraft upgraded to the Viper configuration by 2027.
The Viper configuration outfits Block 52 Greek F-16s with upgraded radar, mission computers, cockpit and avionics, as well as electronic warfare systems.
According to Greek media, a separate and long-delayed €1 billion ($1.17 billion) program to upgrade 38 older F-16 Block 50s to the Viper configuration is also inching closer to approval.
Crucially, both of these program secure significant participation for Greece’s domestic defense sector.
The PULS agreement ensures Greek industries will undertake at least 25% of the manufacturing process and maintenance of the launchers.
Similarly, the F-16 upgrades are being undertaken domestically by the Hellenic Aerospace Industry in collaboration with Lockheed Martin, equipping Greek engineers and technicians working at the Tanagra Air Base with the experience required for long-term fleet maintenance and readiness of the F-16 Vipers.
