The Israel Aeronautics company, along with Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Stolero Aeron, has agreed to supply Greece with Orbiter 3 drones. The sale package for Rafael’s Spike missiles includes the contract with Greece, valued at 370 million euros ($404 million), which will result in the delivery of “dozens” of drones to the Greek Defense Ministry. The Orbiter 3 is an unmanned aerial system that can carry various payloads and operate in GPS-denied and adverse weather conditions. The announcement was made ahead of Yom HaShaoh, and the Israeli Defense Ministry did not provide any further information about the deal.
Rafael’s advanced solution will provide a significant operational advantage on the modern battlefield by utilizing the detection, recognition, and identification capabilities of the Orbiter 3, and quickly closing the sensor-shooter loop using the Fire Weaver system, C4I, of Spike missiles. The NLOS Mission Taskforce (NMT) system, which provides organic detection, attack, and fire control capabilities to small mobile combat units, was introduced by Rafael in the past year.
The company did not provide any details on the Orbiter 3’s integration with this system beyond its ability to detect targets so that Spike missiles can be launched in response.
Greece and Israel have been collaborating on defense, including holding joint drills and signing defense agreements, in recent years. This agreement between Aeronautics and Greece is an example of how modern weapons systems and drone technology can be integrated on the battlefield to provide a significant operational advantage. Aeronautics had previously supplied the Orbiter 3 to an Asian country and won a contract with a South American customer.
The company was founded in 1997 and was acquired by Rafael and Stolero Aeron in 2019, with Rafael holding a 50% stake as a state-owned company.