Greece Lines Up C-390 Aircraft, Drones and Mini-Submarines in Defence Package

By Bosphorus News Defense Desk

Greece is moving toward a €1 billion-€1.2 billion defence package that would add Brazilian C-390 transport aircraft, U.S. and Israeli drones, British-built VICTA mini-submarines and MEKO-200 frigate upgrades to Athens' long-term military modernization plan.

Reuters, citing officials and documents, said a Greek parliamentary committee had approved the package. The final decision is expected to rest with the Government Council for Foreign Affairs and Defence, known by its Greek acronym KYSEA, which oversees major foreign policy and defence decisions.

The package includes three Embraer C-390 military transport aircraft, one Israeli Heron drone system, 10 U.S.-made V-BAT drones and 10 VICTA mini-submarines built in Britain. It also includes modernization work for four German-built MEKO-200 frigates, tying the new procurement line to an existing naval upgrade need.

The C-390 component is the largest single part of the plan, with roughly half of the package value allocated to the aircraft and related support. Greece is seeking to replace ageing C-130 and C-27 transport aircraft with a newer airlift platform.

Athens had already been moving toward this procurement track before the latest package reached the parliamentary committee stage. Greek interest in the C-390 had been tied to a broader modernization discussion involving drones and naval systems, a connection now reflected in the new package.

The drone and mini-submarine elements turn the package from an airlift purchase into a broader capability move. Heron and V-BAT systems would strengthen Greece's unmanned surveillance capacity, while VICTA mini-submarines would add a more specialized maritime platform suited to covert movement, littoral operations and special forces use.

The MEKO-200 work keeps the Hellenic Navy in the centre of the package. Greece is trying to extend the life of existing naval assets while also pursuing new frigate options for Eastern Mediterranean requirements.

The package also follows earlier parliamentary movement on Greece's wider defence build-up. The Achilles Shield air-defence package had already placed air defence, drones and fighter upgrades inside the same long-term modernization track.

Reuters has reported that Greece's long-term defence plan runs to 2036 and includes air defence systems, drones, satellites, fighter aircraft, naval modernization and new weapons programmes. The broader programme has been put at more than €25 billion in earlier reporting and around €28 billion in later Greek planning.

The latest package adds a different layer to that build-up. It does not centre on one prestige platform, but links four practical gaps at once: air transport, unmanned surveillance, maritime special-operations mobility and frigate modernization.

For the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean balance, the important point is not only the size of the package but the type of capacity being added: transport, surveillance, naval mobility and frigate upgrades alongside headline systems such as F-35 aircraft, upgraded F-16s and air-defence projects. The package also comes as Athens continues to manage long-running disputes with Türkiye over airspace, maritime zones and regional security.

The final shape of the procurement will depend on KYSEA approval and contract steps, but the parliamentary committee stage shows that Athens is moving another layer of its defence plan toward acquisition.

Sources: Reuters, To Vima, Naval News, Bosphorus News review and reporting.

Sources: Reuters, To Vima, Naval News, Bosphorus News review and reporting.