Greece to purchase loitering ammunition from US: Report

By Ahmet Gencturk

ATHENS (AA) - Greece is set to purchase loitering ammunition from the US, media reports said Saturday.

The purchase of the Switchblade-type ammunition, which will be used by the Special Forces Command, will cost $75 million, two-thirds of which will be paid by the US, according to the Kathimerini newspaper.

The Defense Ministry decision, taken in light of lessons learned from recent armed conflicts, including the war in Ukraine, which saw extensive use of every type of drone and loitering ammunition by the belligerent parties, will soon be sent to parliament for approval, according to the daily.

A new batch of arms package will also be sent to parliament for approval, it said.

Accordingly, the US will purchase artillery rockets and anti-tank mines from Greece on behalf of Ukraine.

Ukraine requested artillery shells of different calibers, missiles for SA-8 Gecko air defense systems as well as Soviet-era 23 mm ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft guns.

The newspaper noted that the Greek Armed Forces received significant revenue by selling ammunition and weapon systems to Ukraine via the US or Czech Republic, which nearly equals all that it has provided to Ukraine, either free of charge or in the form of financial aid through the Foreign Ministry.