Europe
Dendias and Pistorius at the Crete Missile Range: from cooperation to joint production of defence systems
Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias told his German counterpart Boris Pistorius that Greece wants to move from cooperation to the joint production of defence systems, as they watched firings in the SPARTAN ARROW 2026 air defence exercise.
Greece wants to move from simple cooperation to the joint production of defence systems in its relations with Germany. That was the main message of Defence Minister Nikos Dendias in joint statements with his German counterpart Boris Pistorius on Wednesday, October 14, at the Crete Missile Range at Akrotiri, Chania.
The visit had been announced in advance by the Ministry of National Defence and began at the 115 Combat Wing in Souda, where the German delegation received an official welcome ceremony. The two ministers then went to the range, where the annual air defence exercise SPARTAN ARROW 2026, organised by the German armed forces, is taking place. They watched firings of the Patriot and LeFlaSys Ozelot systems, as well as a firing as part of the certification of the IRIS-T SLM air defence system.
What Dendias said
The Greek minister described a cooperation that he wants to see expanded at every level: more joint training, hosting of German forces in Greece, greater interoperability and the development of joint weapon systems.
Dendias noted that “the two countries are in a critical period of restructuring their armed forces, which creates significant room for cooperation, both in traditional armaments and in the fields of cyber defence, unmanned systems, innovation and new technologies.”
On the geopolitical side, the minister recalled that Europe’s security is not decided only on the northern front and in the war in Ukraine, but is also directly tied to developments in North Africa, the Sahel and the Middle East. He called for European unity to be maintained and repeated that strengthening European defence capabilities complements NATO rather than competing with the Alliance. It is a position he has also set out at the India–EU Forum on common European defence.
Pistorius: air defence is becoming more and more important
The German minister thanked his hosts and, with some humour, compared the weather in Crete that day to the weather in northern Germany. On substance, he focused on air defence, saying that “this is a capability that is becoming increasingly important.” The remark carries weight, as German industry is one of Europe’s main suppliers of air defence systems.
IRIS-T SLM
Diehl Defence’s IRIS-T SLM is a medium-range air defence system that the Bundeswehr is gradually bringing into service and that has also been selected for the German F125 frigates. It is being certified in Crete because the Crete Missile Range (NAMFI) is one of the few ranges in Europe where live firings of long-range anti-aircraft missiles can be carried out over the sea. Patriot units from Germany and other allies fire there every year, and Greece also has Patriot batteries that train at the same range.
For Athens, the reference to joint production is tied to its strategy of strengthening the domestic defence industry. Dendias did not announce a specific programme or agreement. But he put the issue publicly to the minister of the country with the largest defence industry in the European Union.