S-300 missile system © Pavel Lisitsyn / Sputnik
Athens could transfer S-300PMU-1 long-range air-defense systems to Ukraine if the United States deploys MIM-104 Patriot air-defense systems on Crete island instead, Greece’s Minister of National Defense, Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos, said on December 17.
The S-300PMU-1 is an old upgrade of the Soviet S-300 system. Greece acquired the system after the 1997-1998 Cyprus Missile Crisis. The Hellenic Air Force (HAF) maintains a regiment made up of four S-300PMU-1 systems with eight fire units and 32 launchers on Crete. The S-300PMU-1 can fire the 48N6 family of missiles, which has a range of up to 195 kilometers. Greek received at least 175 missiles from Russia along with its systems.
“If the United States installs a Patriot system on the island [Crete] and after it is integrated – connected to the national air defense system, then the S-300 can be removed. The same procedure applies to any other Russian-made air defense system that they may want to send to Ukraine” Pronews.gr quoted Panagiotopoulos as saying during a meeting at the Hellenic Ministry of National Defence.
The minister said that Greece can also send to Ukraine with other air-defense systems which were bought from Russia in the 1990s, like the short-range Tor-M1 and Osa-AKM.
The HAF operates 4 Tor-M1 systems with 16 missile launchers, while the Hellenic Army (HA) operates 21 systems with 84 launchers. The Tor-M1 has a range of 12 kilometers and is mainly used to protect S-300PMU-1 systems. Meanwhile, the Osa-AKM has a firing range of 15 kilometers. The HA operates 39 Osa-AKM systems with at least 120 launchers.
Panagiotopoulos was not talking about buying Patriot systems, but rather about deploying them by the U.S. This means that the systems will be controlled and operated by Americans troops.
The minister’s remarks are in contrast with a recent statement by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who said that Greece is not planning to supply its S-300PMU-1 systems or any other weapons that it needs for its own defense to Ukriane.
Ukraine received several air-defense systems from its Western allies after the start of the Russian special military operation. In April, Slovakia sent its only S-300PMU long-range air-defense system to Ukraine. However, it was quickly targeted by the Russian military.
Greece has already supplied Ukraine with several weapons, including dozens of infantry fighting vehicles and hundreds of anti-tank rockets. However, the decision to supply more advanced weapons like the S-300PMU-1 systems may not be that easy, especially considering the current tensions with Turkey over the decades-long Aegean dispute.
NATO is not a military alliance, it is an alliance of interests. It is no act that Turkey and Greece are long-standing rivals and enemies.
Legally not correct. But that is the way of european nations…back stabing
The Greeks are fools.
They’re meek vassals. Greece is merely a city that belongs to the US.
Greece is nothing more than the 51st state of U.S…the fools in Greece consider themselves safe because of the American bases but they are just short sighted stupid fools that have zero idea about global affairs…
Greece got into EU by manipulating the books and pulling their pants down. Turkey is still standing at EU’s doormat howling. You see? Intelligence, saving gold and manhood wont get you anywhere.
Russians are fool because they thought that they would conquer Ukraine in a week.
Looks like greece has sold out to the D/C suits another vassal state that used to be called Greece……
Yo, Rusia, entregaria esos sistemas con condiciones y tendria preparado un software para destruirlos en el aire o bloquearlos si los utilizan contra mi o mis aliados
Greek bastards , bomb them all
No need.simply take out the most useless greek leader ever and its wanked out defense minister creep!
Greece gives the S-300 to Ukraine because Russia gave first the S-400 to Turkey. And Turkey wants to use this against Greek pilots.
Russia just has to steadily burn Western weaponry: day after day, week after week, month after month and year after year.
Not dozens. Just 20 BMP-1, with their main gun not working. Death traps…..
The greeks are pathetic they hate all orthodox cause they can’t stand the fact that they are just one of many orthodox countries nowadays and no longer the empire that rules all orthodox.
So they side with the enemys of orthodox christianity out of spite.
They were docile servants of the ottoman ocupation until the slavs and bulgars took down the ottoman empire. And now they hate both the former ocupyers and those who freed them for some reason.
As a Greek I must tell you I do not believe in the slightest that our goverment is who runs the place. Also you must learn history. Slavs and others took courage from Greeks and not the way around. Yes we hate everyone who runs this place instead of us. We also hate ourselves for running this place. Check how many civil wars we have.
Slavs and bulgars didn’t do sht
You may hate the Greeks all you like, but get your facts straight and don’t misinform. The Greeks rebeled and gained their freedom after a bloody revolution, when all the other balkan peoples were still under the ottoman rule.
Russia betrayed Christianity, because the Chechens praise Allah in Ukraine.
Greece, where our inception is literally because England and France fancied modern Greece. Our bank isn’t even owned by us and that is even before euro. We were never powerful just a ploy of others. Greece and HELLAS unfortunally aren’t the same thing.
We must get rid, subdue or transform the EU moloch.
Dumb move,more evidence the present greek government is run by cia/usa arms parasitical scumbags!
Greece is like many other Balkan countries: whores of the world empires in the past and now a colony of the Soros globalists. Off course, that was NEVER be possible without the ‘help’ of the own peoples, which again is a CLEAR trait of balkan tribes.
lol. Your not wrong. But what can we do. Todays democracy is the worst dictatorship because it’s is very cunning. If you do anything you get fines and straight to prison. I can tell you if you give the opportunity for change most people will follow, but they are manipulated and always lied to. Same problem in the whole world.
Assad is the only one in the world who can never get S-300 while everybody else are trading them forth and back in front of his nose. Why? Because everybody wants to protect Israel……………………………………….LOL.
In WWII 60 million died because they wanted to protect 6 million……………………………LOL.
Greeks are against Nato and against their own government. We all know it is a puppet regime since 1974, pseudo-democracy. I think most Greeks would be overjoyed if Russia bombed the greek parliament with all the politicians in it.
Its junk the Ukrainians probably don’t want, Greece is trying to get free US weapons.
Patrot, swapping junk for bigger junk
S-300PMU1 is no joke. 150km engagement range, 300km radar range, antiballistic missile ability, anti-stealth. It is just one step down from PMU2 which was delivered to Syria which made Israel cry so hard for years (never used or controlled by Syrians unfortunately).Israel had to limit strikes because of S-300PMU2 even tho Russians controlled them and had agreement not to use them. Don’t underestimate PMU1. Russian Airforce will have to make these pmu1 top priority to destroy. Bigger threat than NASAM. IRIS, Patriot, S-300PS/PT.
In less than 10 years, Greece turned from an average poor European country into a US vassal Third World country
moron geckos—time for turkey to denazify the gay greek
why? I thought Greece was historically friendly to russia? They share the same religion.
Greek people have been sold out by the albert pike satan club. Identify them, as they identify those who are against them so it must be done to them.