Illustrative image. (U.S. Arm\Army Spc. Javier Arencibia)
Greece is considering sending two of its AH-64D Apache attack helicopters to the United Arab Emirates to help strengthen the Gulf state’s defenses against drone attacks, Kathimerini reported on August 8, citing sources familiar with the matter.
According to the report, the helicopters and their crews are being prepared, and the deployment is expected to take place when conditions permit.
The Greek helicopters will reportedly serve as “drone hunters,” a role in which Apache helicopters have proven to be effective.
The report said that a delegation from Greece recently traveled to Abu Dhabi to prepare the mission and inspect facilities that would host the helicopters and their crews.
It noted that the helicopters and their crews would be stationed at a base hosting other international forces, primarily units from the United States. While the base was not named, the most likely guess is Al Dhafra close to the Emirati capital, Abu Dhabi.
The sources who spoke to Kathimerini said the mission would provide Greek crews with valuable experience in countering drones.
The deployment aligns with a bilateral defense cooperation agreement signed in 2020. Greece maintains a similar agreement with Saudi Arabia, under which a Greek Patriot air defense system and approximately 120 troops have been deployed near the Red Sea port city of Yanbu since 2021. That system has intercepted several missiles and drones targeting Yanbu and surrounding areas in recent months.
Saudi Arabia covers the operational costs of the Patriot deployment and has funded upgrades to convert the Greek systems to the advanced PAC-3 configuration.
The latest report said that lessons learned in the UAE, along with experience gained from the Patriot deployment in Saudi Arabia will be be incorporated into Greek military operational plans.
The UAE is also expected to offer similar incentives if the Apache deployment proceeds. In fact, reports from last year revealed that Greece is looking to upgrade its existing Apache fleet in cooperation with Israel while considering the acquisition of additional helicopters from the U.S.
While Greece is benefiting from defense cooperation with Gulf states, its expanding military presence in the region could cause tensions with Iran and its allies.
Early on in the U.S.-Israeli war on the Islamic Republic, Cyprus was targeted more than once with drones reported to have been launched from Lebanon by Hezbollah. This shows that Greek interests are already within Iran’s ring of fire.
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stupid greeks.
we are hunting iranians…heheheh
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