Greece has pledged military support to Bulgaria's anti-ballistic defence as part of regional security coordination among NATO allies amid the war in the Middle East.
Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias announced that Greece will provide "every possible assistance for the anti-ballistic protection of Bulgaria from Iran" following a phone call with his Bulgarian counterpart, Atanas Zapryanov. The move came after a formal request from Sofia and was approved by Greece's government security council.
Under the plan, a Patriot air defence battery will be redeployed to northern Greece in the coming hours, positioned to cover a significant portion of Bulgarian territory. In parallel, a pair of F-16 fighter jets has been relocated to an airport in northern Greece to provide additional coverage to Bulgaria. To ensure operational coordination, Greece will also send two senior air force officers to the Bulgarian armed forces operations centre in Sofia.
Greek Patriot systems are currently stationed at military bases near Thessaloniki and Kavala, including Sedes in Thermi and Chrysoupoli. The nearby air base in Kavala is considered the most likely location for the F-16 deployment because of its proximity to Bulgaria.
Dendias stated that the measures follow a direct request from Bulgaria, which is both a NATO and EU member, and insisted that Greece's own defences remain unaffected. "The above actions were taken after a request from Bulgaria ... and do not affect in the slightest the anti-ballistic protection capability of the Greek territory," he said.
The two defence ministers also discussed the broader regional implications of developments in Iran and the Middle East. The Greek minister is expected to travel to Sofia next week at the invitation of his Bulgarian counterpart to continue security consultations.
