Greece Swaps Patriot Missiles for Mirage Jets on Karpathos
Greece is pulling its Patriot air defense batteries from Karpathos and replacing them with a pair of Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets, according to sources familiar with the decision. The Government Council on National Security, chaired by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, approved the withdrawal on Monday.
The two Patriot systems, one on Karpathos and one near the northeastern land border at Didymoteicho, were deployed earlier this year when the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran. Their mission was to shield NATO's southeastern flank from potential ballistic missile threats and extend defensive cover to Bulgaria. With that threat picture now reassessed, Greek officials say the redeployment is purely operational.
"I am tired of reading reports about retreat." — Government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis
Infrastructure upgrades are underway at Karpathos airport to support the long-term stationing of Hellenic Air Force fighters, meaning the island will not be left undefended. The Mirage 2000-5 is considered one of the Greek Air Force's most capable interceptors, and military sources say Greece has no plans to sell off its Mirage fleet despite earlier speculation.
KYSEA also decided to pull the four F-16s stationed at Paphos in Cyprus, which were deployed at the outset of the Gulf conflict. Those will similarly be replaced by other Greek Air Force aircraft to avoid any coverage gap in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis pushed back hard against suggestions that the moves signal any kind of retreat, saying he was "tired of reading reports about retreat." Officials insist the decisions have nothing to do with Ankara's push to codify its maritime claims in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean through new legislation.
Turkey's Defense Ministry had previously condemned the Karpathos Patriot deployment, arguing the island should remain demilitarized under the post-World War II treaty that transferred it to Greece. Athens has consistently rejected that argument.
