Greek lawmakers approved the purchase of 36 PULS rocket artillery systems from Israel for about €650 million ($757.84 million), two officials with knowledge of the issue said.
Greece has said it will spend about €28 billion ($32.66 billion) by 2036 to modernize its armed forces as it emerges from a 2009-2018 debt crisis.
“In a closed session, the parliament’s defense committee approved the purchase of PULS,” a senior official with knowledge of the issue said.
A second official confirmed the parliament’s approval, adding that the cost would be around €650 million to €700 million. Reuters reported in November that Greece was in talks with Israel for the systems.
Greece and Israel have strong economic and diplomatic ties, have conducted several joint exercises in recent years, and operate an air training center in southern Greece.
Greece is also in talks with Israel to develop a €3 billion anti-aircraft and missile defense dome.
The PULS system, made by Israel’s Elbit, has a range of up to 300 km and will help protect Greece’s northeastern border with Turkiye and Greek islands in the Aegean, officials have said.
The deal also includes the construction of components in Greece.
Greece and Turkiye, NATO allies, have long been at odds over issues including where their continental shelves start and end, energy resources, flights over the Aegean, and the ethnically partitioned island of Cyprus.
