Reuters: Greece approves purchase of 36 Israeli PULS rocket systems

Greek lawmakers on December 4 approved the acquisition of 36 PULS rocket artillery systems from Israel for roughly 650 million euros ($757.84 million)

"In a closed session, the parliament's defence committee approved the purchase of PULS," a senior official with knowledge of the discussions told Reuters.

A second official confirmed the parliamentary approval, noting that the total cost would fall between 650 and 700 million euros. Reuters had earlier reported in November that Greece was negotiating with Israel for the systems.

Greece plans to allocate about 28 billion euros ($32.66 billion) toward modernising its armed forces by 2036, as the country continues to recover from its 2009–2018 debt crisis and seeks to maintain parity with its historic rival, Türkiye.

Greece and Israel maintain strong economic and diplomatic relations, have held multiple joint military exercises in recent years, and jointly operate an air training centre in southern Greece.

Athens is also engaged in talks with Israel regarding the development of a 3-billion-euro anti-aircraft and missile defence “dome.”

The PULS system, produced by Israel’s Elbit, has a maximum range of up to 300 km (190 miles) and is expected to bolster the defence of Greece’s northeastern border with Türkiye as well as its Aegean islands, officials said. The agreement also provides for some components to be manufactured in Greece.

Greece and Türkiye, both NATO members, have longstanding disputes over their maritime boundaries, energy exploration rights, military flights over the Aegean, and the status of the ethnically divided island of Cyprus.

By Jeyhun Aghazada