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Anti-drone ‘umbrella’ in the Aegean that ‘blinds’ the Turkish Bayraktars

By Paul Iddon

The notorious Turkish drones pose a significant challenge to Greece, one that Athens has recently begun to address with the contribution of Israeli expertise.

Over the past two months, Greece has deployed under conditions of secrecy an “umbrella against enemy drones over islands and other critical locations across the territory,” as a recent article in the Kathimerini newspaper reported.

The system uses Israeli technology to “blind” enemy UAVs and drones and disorient them by interfering with the flight plan stored in their memory.

According to the same publication, “it is a version of an anti-UAV system that has characteristics similar to those of the Israeli Drone Dome, but in a way that suits the particular needs of Greece and the geographical relief of the islands and other border areas.”

Built by Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, the Drone Dome, as its name suggests, specializes in dealing with enemy drones. It can neutralize drones by interfering with their communication systems and GPS. For fully autonomous drones, it uses an invisible 10-kilowatt laser that can shoot down drones up to two miles away.

Rafael offers its customers customized versions of the system, as it probably has done in the case of Greece.

Greek-Israeli defense ties have strengthened recently. In 2021, the two countries signed a $1.68 billion defense deal, the largest in their history, which included the acquisition of M-346 trainer aircraft and the establishment of a flight school in Greece. So it is no surprise that Athens has acquired the Drone Dome and possibly other similar Israeli systems.

Greece’s acquisition of 24 4th and 5th generation Rafale fighters from France, the upgrade of 84 F-16s to Block 72 and the eventual acquisition of at least 20 5th generation F-35 Lightning II stealth aircraft will give the Hellenic Air Force a substantial technological advantage against Turkey by the end of the decade.

For its part, Turkey already has a larger and more advanced fleet of drones.

In February, retired Greek Rear Admiral Evangelos Georgousis wrote an article describing how the Turkish drones that fly regularly from Evros to Kastellorizo ​​are causing a “headache” in Greece. He noted that on a daily basis Turkish Bayraktar TB2s conduct three to four flights a day to closely monitor and gather information on the movements of Greek warships in the Aegean.

The continuous mission of F-16s to intercept these drones is a big challenge for the Hellenic Air Force.

“Dractically dealing with this situation is not easy and may become very difficult if they (s.s.: the Turks) decide to seriously increase the numbers and the flight time within the Athens FIR,” warned the Greek vice-captain e.a.

Athens is aware of the challenge posed by Turkish drones. If it is not already doing so, it may in the near future use the Drone Dome’s powerful sensors to make it difficult for Turkish drones to systematically spy on Greek military movements. It can even use the ability to neutralize the enemy drone in the event of a confrontation.

By preventing Turkey from effectively using its drone superiority, Greece would consolidate its own “emerging” fighter jet superiority, which it could use in any future confrontation. Athens’ acquisition of the Israeli system is a good start.

Source: Capital

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