Greece, Israel and Cyprus plan joint military exercises in the Mediterranean

Greece, Israel and Cyprus will conduct joint air and naval exercises in the eastern Mediterranean in 2026, deepening their defense cooperation, Greek military officials said on Monday.

The three eastern Mediterranean countries have grown closer over the past decade through joint military exercises, defense procurement and energy cooperation, developments closely watched by regional rival Turkey.

The General Staff of the Greek Armed Forces (GEETHA) said that senior military officials from the three countries signed a joint action plan for defense cooperation last week in Cyprus. 

The agreement follows a meeting in Jerusalem between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in which they signed an agreement to strengthen maritime security cooperation and advance energy interconnection projects, Reuters reports.

A senior Greek official familiar with the matter said the military agreement would include joint naval and air exercises and the transfer of knowledge from Israel to Greece and Cyprus to address various threats.

also World July 8, 2026 12 countries plan $50 billion in missiles to defend Europe

"Greece and Israel will intensify joint exercises after the ceasefire in Gaza, with the participation of Cyprus," the official said, adding that Greece plans to join Israel's Noble Dina naval exercise in the coming months in the eastern Mediterranean.

Greece and Cyprus have purchased missile systems from Israel worth billions of euros. Official Athens is also in talks to buy from Israel medium- and long-range anti-aircraft and anti-ballistic missile systems for a planned multi-layered air defense and drone system known as “Achilles Shield,” which is estimated to cost about 3 billion euros.