Greece Narrows SAFE Bid to Six Projects

Greece has refined its proposal under the European Union's SAFE (Security Action for Europe) defence financing instrument, condensing an initial broad application into a targeted shortlist of six projects totaling approximately €815 million.

This adjustment, submitted to the European Commission for review, represents a strategic pivot from a wide-ranging procurement list (originally encompassing dozens of programs valued in the billions) to a more focused set of initiatives. The emphasis is now on strategic surveillance, secure communications, and counter-drone technologies.

The European Commission had provisionally allocated around €787 million to Greece in September 2025, and the revised €815 million package aligns closely with this envelope while meeting SAFE's requirements for multi-country cooperation.

Key Projects and Partnerships

The shortlist highlights a recurring "tri-partner" model, with Greece frequently collaborating with a small group of partners — notably Greek Cyprus (Cyprus), alongside select others — despite the availability of 25 other potential EU member states (excluding Greece and Cyprus).

Space-based surveillance and secure connectivity form a major pillar:

• A communications satellite project developed in partnership with Cyprus and Norway (a non-EU country, underscoring flexibility beyond strict EU boundaries).
• Acquisition of SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar)-capable micro-satellites in collaboration with Poland, enhancing all-weather intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) for both land and maritime domains.

These efforts prioritize foundational "enabling" layers for networked defence, such as resilient command-and-control and ISR, rather than traditional combat platforms.

Counter-drone capabilities represent another core focus, with a regional Balkan dimension:

• A joint initiative involving Greece, Cyprus, and Bulgaria to advance anti-drone systems, including the Greek-developed Kentaurus (Centaur) and Yperion (Hyperion/Iperion) platforms. These address the growing threat of low-cost drones in modern conflicts and align with broader European security needs.

National-Level Components

Alongside the collaborative efforts, the package includes three purely national procurements that support the same strategic themes:

• Cryptographic devices for enhanced security.
• Wireless communications systems.
• Development of unmanned systems.

Although these lack multi-country partners, they reinforce priorities in resilient communications, sensing, and unmanned technologies.

Strategic Implications

The prominent role of Cyprus as a repeated partner stands out, given its relatively limited defence-industrial base. This collaboration appears driven more by institutional and geopolitical alignment — elevating Eastern Mediterranean security concerns within EU funding mechanisms — than by pure industrial synergy.

The inclusion of Norway and emphasis on space and connectivity suggest Greece is leveraging SAFE not just for financing, but also to build strategic enablers tailored to the Eastern Mediterranean environment. This fits into broader regional dynamics, including deepening ties with Cyprus and Israel (despite alliance complexities within NATO, which includes Türkiye).

Capability Focus Debate

The selection raises questions about priorities in modern warfare. High-intensity conflicts rapidly deplete ammunition, missiles, and other consumables, which require large-scale replenishment. Yet Greece's SAFE bid concentrates on longer-term architectural elements — satellite ISR, secure networks, counter-UAS defences, and unmanned development — areas where EU and NATO already offer some shared access.

This suggests a deliberate choice: using SAFE loans to fund resilient, networked defence infrastructure with enduring strategic value, while pursuing stockpiles and consumables through national budgets or other channels.

Overall, the revised bid positions Greece to advance enabling technologies and regional cooperation within the EU's evolving defence financing framework. The European Commission is now evaluating the proposal following clarifications requested late in 2025.