Greece Wants to Modernize Its S-300 Systems

Greece wishes to modernize its Russian-made S-300 surface-to-air missile systems by upgrading them from PMU-1 to PMU-2 level. To this end, Athens has initiated negotiations with Moscow. This was reported by Turkish media, referencing Greek DefenceNet.

It is noted that NATO member Greece will not face sanctions from the United States for this military cooperation with Russia, as unlike Turkey, this involves not the purchase of new weapons but the modernization of existing ones. Ermenihaber has reported on this.

According to information, it is planned to extend the range for hitting targets of the Russian systems from 150 km to 200 km, with plans to redeploy them on the island of Crete. This news has garnered significant attention in the Turkish press, particularly amidst rising Greek-Turkish tensions due to recent Turkish oil and gas exploration activities in the Eastern Mediterranean, near the Greek islands.

Additionally, Greece and Turkey have been conducting military exercises in the Mediterranean Sea in recent months, one after another. It is noteworthy that Greece is one of the few NATO members that has acquired Russian S-300 air defense systems. The systems, acquired in the late 1990s, were initially deployed in Cyprus, but their relocation to Crete was necessitated by Turkey's strong reaction, and Athens has since operated these systems according to its own needs. Reports indicate that Greece currently possesses two S-300 systems and 96 units of the 48N6E1 missiles.