Greece, Armenia, and Cyprus recently held trilateral defense consultations to discuss security issues and strengthen their respective defenses. The meeting took place in Cyprus and included the signing of a cooperative plan for future events between the three countries.
Greece, under Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, has made safeguarding the country a priority and is undergoing a significant military buildup. This includes the purchase of 24 Dassault Rafale multirole fighters, upgrading their F-16 fleet, and ordering at least 20 fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II fighter jets. These acquisitions come despite a thaw in tensions with Turkey and reflect Greece's concerns over Turkish ambitions in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Cyprus, on the other hand, has historically had a strict arms embargo imposed by the United States, which was lifted in 2020. The Cypriot military primarily consists of Russian hardware, but they have recently shown interest in diversifying their defense acquisitions. They have signed a letter of intent to purchase French Mistral air defense missiles and reportedly signed a contract for Israeli Merkava tanks. However, it remains to be seen how many Iron Dome batteries Cyprus will ultimately procure.
Armenia, facing a devastating defeat in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war and supply issues from the ongoing Russian war on Ukraine, is also seeking to diversify its defense acquisitions. They have expressed interest in Indian military hardware and have already signed deals for Indian radars and Pinaka multiple launch rocket systems. Armenia's defense ties with India are expected to expand in the future, and the transition from Russian to Indian weaponry may prove relatively straightforward given the similarities in many systems.
Overall, the armed forces of Greece, Cyprus, and Armenia are undergoing significant changes and forging closer defense ties. While Greece's military buildup is the most significant, Cyprus and Armenia are also making noteworthy acquisitions to strengthen their respective defenses. The motivations behind these transformations include concerns over Turkish ambitions and a desire to reduce reliance on Russian weaponry.