Greece, Israel, and Cyprus agreed to increase their joint air and naval exercises in the eastern Mediterranean significantly starting in 2026, as part of a broader effort to deepen their defence cooperation.
The announcement comes after senior military officials from the three countries signed a trilateral joint action plan in Cyprus last week. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) says the new cooperation will include bilateral work plans, joint training, working groups, and strategic dialogue on shared security challenges.
The plan is intended to bolster “stability, security and peace” in the region, said Greece’s armed forces general staff (GEETHA).
Along with joint naval and air exercises, the military cooperation will also include the transfer of know-how from Israel to Greece and Cyprus, a senior Greek official said.
This is aimed at addressing both “asymmetrical” and “symmetrical” threats, said the official.
The Gaza ceasefire has created an opportunity for Greece and Israel to intensify joint exercises, with Cyprus participating, noted the official. Greece also plans to join Israel’s Noble Dina naval exercise in the coming months.
The deal builds on a trilateral summit in Jerusalem on December 22, where Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed agreements to strengthen maritime security and advance energy interconnection projects between the three nations.
This marked the tenth such meeting among the leaders.
Greece, Israel, and Cyprus have progressively strengthened their ties throughout the past decade through shared military drills, defence procurement, and energy collaboration.
Greece and Cyprus have purchased missile systems from Israel worth billions of euros, with Athens currently in talks to acquire additional medium- and long-range anti-aircraft and anti-ballistic systems as part of its planned “Achilles Shield” multi-layer defence programme.
The enhanced cooperation occurs amid longstanding regional tensions, particularly between Greece and Turkey, which closely monitors these developments.
Turkish officials have indicated they are observing the initiatives but do not view them as a direct military threat.
In Cyprus, however, the opposition Communist Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL) expressed its concerns, saying President Christodoulides was deepening military-political ties with Israel without fully considering the risks.
The agreement follows earlier reports of discussions about a potential joint rapid-response force, though Cypriot Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas denied any plans for a permanent standing unit.
Furthermore, the Greek parliament recently approved the purchase of 36 Israeli-made PULS rocket artillery systems to strengthen defences on the Aegean islands and along Greece’s northeastern border with Turkey.
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