Useful conclusions drawn from Aspides

Greek naval officers have taken valuable lessons from their experience in the European operation Aspides in the Red Sea in dealing with unmanned aerial threats. To date, Greek vessels have downed three Houthi UAVs. One of these was brought down by the homegrown Centaur anti-drone system, developed by the Hellenic Aerospace Industry (HAI) and installed on the Psara frigate. 

However, up until these shootdowns, the two frigates (Hydra and Psara) deployed in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden had tested the anti-drone systems for early detection of threats and interruption of communication between the UAV and its operator. With greater power and range, the HAI’s Centaur proved more effective, achieving a shootdown at zero cost when allied ships had to launch Aster missiles at a cost of several million euros per shot.

The operation has afforded Greek officers important data, such as the distance at which enemy UAVs are detected and revealed, their electromagnetic signature and their ability to be caught on the radars of anti-aircraft weapons, and the effectiveness of anti-drone systems in emitting jamming and inactivating threats.

These valuable lessons will reportedly be incorporated into the plans to create a multilayered air defense umbrella with upgraded capabilities to shield from tactical ballistic missiles in addition to small drones or larger UAVs (MALE & HALE).

Seven early warning and jamming stations have thus far been installed on the eastern Aegean islands. These are reportedly Israeli-made integrated systems that include cameras that can identify threats at a distance of several kilometers with remarkable accuracy and an anti-drone system that obstructs the drone pilot’s ability to communicate. The next step, which has been approved, is to expand the network to Evros, the islands of the southeastern Aegean and Crete, and in the next stage to critical infrastructure in the interior.

The Turkish Army has unmanned aerial vehicles, such as Bayraktar Akinci, which are guided by satellite. Ankara intends to boost its capabilities in this area in 2025, as it is expected to put a swarm of military satellites into orbit. The Israelis have developed systems for jamming all communications, including satellite communications, which have reportedly attracted the interest of Athens. The famous Iron Dome, which blinds GPS, rendering UAVs unable to operate, has similar capabilities.

Among Greece’s priorities is the interconnection of the dome with the air defense weapon systems, so that the network can acquire the ability to shoot down missiles.