Efforts by Greece to ensure it can autonomously operate and upgrade a system that will sit at the core of the country's air defense grow complicated
New questions over whether the widely publicized "Achilles Shield" secures the technological autonomy Greece seeks are raised by a new revelation from Israel regarding the source code of the command and control (C2) system. Specifically, despite assurances from the Israeli side that Greece will develop its own source code under exclusive Greek control, the head of the Israeli Missile Defense Organization makes clear that the existing Israeli source code is not included in the agreement's license. This development carries significant weight, as Athens had placed knowledge transfer and the ability of the Greek side to intervene, adapt, and autonomously evolve the critical digital infrastructure of the new anti-aircraft and anti-ballistic umbrella at the very center of the agreement. At the same time, however, individual Israeli systems integrated into the "Shield" are not accompanied by their internal source code. Thus, behind the approximately 3 billion euro deal, a critical question emerges regarding the real operational and technological autonomy of Greece. This is because, as it appears, the central Greek code is being developed with Israeli know-how, while the code of the core Israeli systems remains outside the scope of the agreement.
The message from Israel
More analytically, the head of the Israeli Missile Defense Organization, Moshe Patel, signals that Greece will not receive the source code for the command and control system at the core of the new 3 billion euro "Achilles Shield" air defense network. The revelation complicates efforts by Athens to ensure it can autonomously operate and upgrade a system located at the heart of the country's air defense. The "Achilles Shield," agreed between Greece and Israel on August 31, will combine a series of Israeli technologies designed to protect Greece from missiles, aircraft, and drones. The agreement represents the latest development in an increasingly close relationship between European governments and the Israeli defense industry.
According to Politico, Athens had pressed for access to the source code behind the system's command and control technology so Greek engineers could maintain, modify, and upgrade it without relying entirely on Israeli suppliers. "Becoming 'hostages,' even to a very friendly foreign nation or ally, is completely out of the question," Minister of National Defence Nikos Dendias stated in July. The message from Israel carries particular importance, as source code represents the complete set of instructions that allows engineers to understand, modify, and evolve software. In the case of the "Achilles Shield" C2, access to it is directly linked to the Greek side's ability to adapt the system to its own operational needs without depending on the original supplier for every change. The Israeli side, however, attempts to separate the absence of the Israeli source code from the development of the Greek version of the system. As clarified by the Israeli Ministry of Defense, know-how and technological support will be transferred to Greek companies under the deal, enabling them to develop the central command and control code for the Greek architecture. This code, according to Tel Aviv, will be under "exclusive Greek control," while future modifications and additions will also remain under Greek responsibility.
Greek code built with… Israeli technology
As it turns out, Greece is not purchasing a unified system developed entirely by the domestic defense industry. The agreement provides for the interconnection of different Israeli technologies and systems into a single architecture, with C2 assuming the critical role of coordinating them. Consequently, the fact that the Greek C2 code will be under Greek control does not automatically mean Athens will possess the same level of access and control inside every individual Israeli system connected to the "Shield." This is precisely where the demand of Athens for technological autonomy gains crucial significance. The ability of Greek defense firms to develop and modify the central code is important, but equally critical is whether they can execute required interventions when these involve interfaces, interconnections, or functions residing on the side of the Israeli systems. In this context, a serious risk arises that even if Greece creates its own code, there will remain critical technological choke points requiring assistance from the Israeli supplier.
What the 3 billion euro agreement entails
The "Achilles Shield" represents one of the largest procurement programs in Greece, aiming to construct a multi-layered air defense umbrella capable of countering various threat categories, from drones and aircraft to missiles and ballistic threats. The logic of the program is not based on procuring a single weapon system, but on networking diverse assets into a unified grid. Radars, sensors, interceptors, and counter-drone systems must exchange real-time data to construct a common operational picture and select the appropriate countermeasure for each threat. Within this architecture, the command and control system serves as the critical "nervous system." It is responsible for gathering and processing information from different subsystems and coordinating responses against incoming threats. For this reason, access to the source code is no mere technical detail, but directly dictates who retains the authority to intervene in the system's architecture, execute changes, and tailor operations to the needs of the Greek Armed Forces.
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