ATHENS – During a period of detente—on paper at least—Greece and Turkey have refrained from escalating tensions, but both nations are gearing up to enhance their air defenses. Turkey holds an advantage with its domestically manufactured drones, which it has in such abundance that they are sold to other countries.

The buildup of defenses is partly driven by concerns stemming from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has underscored the importance of nearly impregnable air defenses to thwart missile and rocket strikes on cities and other targets.

With conflicts spreading in the Middle East—such as Israel’s invasion of Gaza in its hunt for Hamas terrorists, and fears that Hezbollah in Lebanon might be drawn in—Greece is looking to accelerate its plans for defenses against drones and missiles.

For now, Greece primarily relies on American Patriot missile systems, which are also effective against ballistic weapons. The country has a military cooperation agreement with the United States, enhancing its defensive capabilities.

While the eastern Aegean islands near Turkey’s coast have anti-drone defenses, these systems do not cover the entire region. Although Turkey has, for now, ceased talk of creating a conflict or launching an invasion, Greece has been steadily augmenting its arsenal of fighter jets and warships.

Greece also possesses outdated Russian-made S-300 missile defense systems, which it considered providing to Ukraine. However, under the terms of their acquisition, doing so would require permission from Russia, which has not granted it.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, during a Defense Industry Executive Committee meeting, reportedly discussed creating a “Steel Dome,” reminiscent of Israel’s Iron Dome, which has proven mostly effective in intercepting missiles.

Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias had earlier mentioned plans to develop a double anti-aircraft and anti-drone defense system, which would cost up to 2 billion euros ($2.19 billion). This project has been earmarked for funding.

Erdogan’s office, in a statement, said the Steel Dome program would be developed domestically, incorporating multiple layers of air defense systems, sensors, and weapons into a seamless network.

“This kind of integration will enable real-time situational awareness to be provided to operations centers and decision-makers, supported by artificial intelligence (AI) as well as human operation,” the statement added.

The meeting also addressed the development of KAAN, Turkey’s first national combat aircraft, as well as the acquisition of unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) such as the Bayraktar TB3, Akinci, Aksungur, and kamikaze drone boats for the navy.

Greece, however, is not relying solely on high technology or the current rapprochement with Turkey to prevent Erdogan from reverting to his previous belligerence, during which he had even threatened invasion before changing his stance.

Greece has renewed its military cooperation deal with the United States, which will also increase the American military presence—along with U.S. drone capabilities—at a Greek air base. Additionally, Greece has a mutual defense agreement with France, under which it has acquired French fighter jets and warships.

Greece is also adding more American F-16 fighter jets to its fleet and is seeking to procure advanced F-35s, which were denied to Turkey after its purchase of Russian S-400 missile defense systems. These systems undermine NATO’s cohesion and could potentially be used against Greece in a conflict.