Greece has signed a deal to purchase 16 Exocet anti-ship missiles from France.
The agreement was finalized during a visit to Athens by French Armed Forces Minister Sébastien Lecornu, with Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias overseeing the signing. Although the cost of the deal has not been publicly disclosed, it underscores the growing military alignment between the two NATO allies.
The purchase of the French-built Exocet missiles is widely interpreted as Athens’ first tangible response to discussions around Ankara’s interest in procuring MBDA’s Meteor air-to-air missiles — a move that could shift the military balance in the region.
Lecornu’s visit comes at a symbolically charged moment, coinciding with the anchoring of the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle in Faliraki Bay as part of the large-scale “Clemenceau ’25” exercise.
Dendias described the meeting with Lecornu as one rooted in shared principles. “We confirmed that the two countries remain friends with each other, referring to the high point of the 2021 signing of the security partnership agreement. Greece is always confident that France will always take into account Greece’s security and the need for our country to maintain a comparative technological advantage against the forces of revisionism,” Dendias said.
That 2021 defense pact has already borne fruit. Under the agreement, Greece has committed to purchasing three French-built FDI (Belharra-class) frigates and 24 Rafale fighter jets from Dassault Aviation. Discussions are ongoing about a potential fourth frigate, possibly outfitted with SCALP Naval cruise missiles.
The third Greek frigate in the Belharra series, F-601 Kimon, is expected to arrive in Greece in the near future. Still, Dendias appealed for more favorable terms this weekend at Delphi Economic Forum this weekend stating: “We are not rich. We are therefore obliged to count too much and negotiate too much. And we expect both a friendly country and a friendly company to help us with this.”
The missile acquisition also ties into a broader, long-term modernization strategy unveiled by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis earlier this month. On April 2, he presented a €25 billion defense plan to the Hellenic Parliament, outlining a 12-year vision to overhaul the country’s armed forces and maintain parity with neighboring Turkey.
