Cyprus strengthens air defence as HAI unveils ‘Shield of Achilles’ vision | Cyprus Mail

for Android

Cyprus strengthens air defence as HAI unveils ‘Shield of Achilles’ vision

Anti-drone system Kentavros is seen at the Hellenic Aerospace Industry (HAI), in Tanagra, north of Athens

HAI CEO: we view the security of Greece and Cyprus as part of an indivisible strategic space

Cyprus is moving to bolster its air defence capabilities amid rising regional tensions, with Greece’s Hellenic Aerospace Industry (HAI) positioning its systems as a cost-effective response to the growing drone threat.

In an interview with the Cyprus Mail, vice admiral (retd), executive chairman and CEO of HAI, Alexandros Diakopoulos said recent events in the Eastern Mediterranean, such as the drone attack on Akrotiri at the beginning of last month, had exposed what he described as the “economic paradox” of modern warfare.

“The recent unprovoked drone attack in the Eastern Mediterranean has starkly illustrated the economic paradox of modern warfare – using million-euro missiles to intercept low-cost drones is a strategic dead end,” he said.

“The Greek government’s decision to deploy a Kentavros-equipped frigate to the region was a deliberate strategic choice, it provided a combat-proven, cost-effective shield that could have neutralised threats like the Shahed 360 well before they reached the ground.”

Against this backdrop, Cyprus has already approved the procurement of four Kentavros system systems through the EU’s Security Action for Europe (Safe) mechanism, a move Diakopoulos described as “impressive foresight”.

Integration with Israeli systems

HAI has also integrated Kentavros with Israel’s Barak MX, creating what Diakopoulos described as a multi-layered ‘Shield of Achilles’.

“Integrating two world-class systems with different philosophies was a major engineering challenge, but the result is a game-changer for regional security,” he said.

In this architecture, Kentavros provides the outer, non-kinetic layer of defence using advanced ‘soft-kill’ techniques (electronic suppression).

“The strategic advantage for Cyprus is clear: we can engage and disable incoming threats at zero per-engagement cost, preserving high-value assets,” he said, adding that if “a threat is persistent or belongs to a higher tier – such as cruise missiles or advanced aircraft – the Barak MX system takes over the inner layer with its lethal ‘hard-kill’ interceptors”.

“This synergy ensures maximum-intensity defence with minimum economic exhaustion, providing a seamless response to everything from Class II drones to supersonic threats.”

Cyprus as a regional hub

Beyond procurement, HAI sees Cyprus as a potential strategic partner in the region. “We view the security of Greece and Cyprus as part of an indivisible strategic space,” Diakopoulos said.

He confirmed that partnerships with Cypriot defence companies are already in place and suggested the island could evolve into a regiona