28 October parade in Thessaloniki: Greece shows its Achilles Shield air defence, and Mitsotakis says Greece “does not blackmail, but is not blackmailed”

Greece marked the 28 October 1940 “No” anniversary on Wednesday with a military parade in Thessaloniki in which the new “Achilles Shield” air defence network was shown for the first time, according to the Greek public broadcaster ERT. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis used the occasion to say that Greece “does not blackmail, but is not blackmailed either”, and “does not threaten, but does not accept threats”.

The parade featured the Armed Forces’ unit for New Weapon Systems and Innovation for the second consecutive time in Thessaloniki. A screen opposite the official stand showed live pictures from two drones, one on patrol in the eastern Aegean and one filming the parade itself. ERT reported that the Achilles Shield, described as the country’s new joint-service air defence system, was presented with elements that include the Drone Dome counter-drone system, the SPYDER short- and medium-range system and the Barak MX for longer ranges, together with the Derby and Python missiles of SPYDER and the Stunner interceptor of David’s Sling. The broadcaster said the concept rests on linking radars, surveillance means and electronic warfare into one layered network. Our Analysis: Achilles Shield, what capabilities Greece is buying from Israel, when it arrives and how it answers Turkey’s “Steel Dome” sets out the programme in detail.

The flypast closed the parade. An F-16 “Zeus” demonstration jet flown by Squadron Leader Christos-Paris Charitos performed precision manoeuvres, and the pilot said in a message from the cockpit: “One word changes history, and for Greeks that word is ‘No’.”

What the leaders said. Mitsotakis said the Armed Forces are carrying out “the largest armament programme in their history” and that the systems on show give Greece a strong deterrent against “those who might covet our sovereignty or our sovereign rights”. He added that the weapons are paid for from “the hard-earned money of the Greek people” and that deterrence depends on a stable economy. President Konstantinos Tasoulas said Greece “has once again all the capabilities not only to deter every threat but, if necessary, to defeat every threat”,. According to a summary of the statements published by ERT, Defence Minister Nikos Dendias said the rapid development of the Armed Forces under “Agenda 2030” is a prerequisite for national survival. He also noted the participation of U.S. military units and of Cypriot National Guard units, and thanked Cyprus’s Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas. Greek units marched in Nicosia on 1 October, as we reported in Cyprus independence parade displays Greek F-16s, allied troops and new weapons.