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

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 regional support and maintenance hub.

“The prospect of Cyprus evolving into a regional support or maintenance hub is a natural progression of our cooperation,” he said. “By leveraging HAI’s ‘Depot Level’ expertise alongside the agility of the Cypriot defence ecosystem, we can ensure a robust security of supply for the Eastern Mediterranean.”

HAI is also playing a growing role in European defence initiatives, particularly under the EU’s Safe mechanism. The company is currently involved in eight European Defence Fund programmes, including FASSET 2 and ESOCA.

Diakopoulos highlighted the iFURTHER project, which focuses on beyond-the-horizon surveillance capabilities. “Our success is reflected in our impressive 95 per cent success rate on proposals submitted to the EU, ensuring we remain a critical link in the Alliance’s collective technological edge,” he said.

Long-term regional ambitions

Looking ahead, HAI being an established MRO (maintenance, repair, overhaul) facility, certified by Lockheed Martin for the C-130H and by Rolls Royce for their engines, aims to establish itself as a central aerospace hub in the Eastern Mediterranean, building on its existing maintenance and industrial capabilities.

“Being the only organisation with such extensive capabilities in the Eastern Mediterranean, our vision is to function as the central regional aerospace hub,” Diakopoulos said.

“Strategic cooperation with major Israeli defence companies places us at the heart of the regional defence ecosystem,” he added, highlighting that the company is in discussions with Cyprus-based firms and aims to act as an “open innovation platform” for private companies and startups.

Supply chain resilience

Addressing global supply chain challenges, Diakopoulos stated that HAI is increasing its reliance on European and domestic suppliers while expanding in-house production.

“We are shifting ‘make-or-buy’ decisions toward the ‘make’ option whenever feasible,” he said. “This vertical integration allows us to maintain continuity even when global markets are volatile.” He also noted that Cyprus could play a role by integrating locally manufactured components into HAI systems, enhancing strategic autonomy.

Five-year outlook

Over the next five years, HAI aims to deepen regional cooperation and expand its footprint in the Eastern Mediterranean. “For HAI, success is defined by three key benchmarks,” Diakopoulos said.

These include the co-development of new defence technologies with Israeli leaders and Cypriot SMEs, “a primary milestone is the delivery of a Class II drone with advanced Electronic Warfare (EW) capabilities, engineered for the specific requirements of the Balkan and East Med theatres”, the establishment of a Unified Regional Ecosystem and increased revenue from regional activities.

“This would signify HAI’s transition from a domestic provider to a pivotal regional aerospace hub, transforming the Eastern Mediterranean into a global centre of aerospace excellence.”

Asked on whether the Kentavros will be upgraded with the new Iperion system, a new anti-drone system for detecting, identifying, and suppressing class 1 and 2 drone swarms he clarified that “Iperion is not a successor or an ‘upgrade’ to Kentavros, but a complementary layer of a unified defence umbrella”.

He added that while “Kentavros offers high-power, long-range suppression, Iperion acts as the agile, ‘all-around’ guard against saturation attacks. Together, they provide a tiered, multi-domain defence that is both operationally superior and economically sustainable” thus leaving room for speculation as to what the future might bring as tensions persist in the Eastern Mediterranean and drone warfare continues to reshape modern conflict.

Cyprus’ investment in layered, cost-effective air defence systems signals a shift in how smaller states approach security. With HAI positioning itself as both a technology provider and regional partner, the island could increasingly play a dual role – not only as a frontline state, but also as a hub for defence innovation and support.