Faced with the threat of UAVs from Türkiye, Greece promoted the self research of UAVs and deployed anti UAV systems in many places

In recent years, Greece has made some progress in independently developing drones, such as the "Achita" and "Griffin" drones we introduced earlier.

These two drones are a project owned by the Greek government, led by the country's largest aerospace manufacturing company, the Greek Aerospace Industry Corporation (EAB), and developed with the participation of multiple universities in Greece, thus receiving relatively higher attention.

Greece and Türkiye launch a new round of arms race, with drones as the focus.

But Greece's efforts in independent drone development are not limited to this, and several drone projects from these two Greek manufacturers have also been reported.

Integrated detection and striking, low detectability, bee colony.

A company called Spirit Aeronautical Systems, abbreviated as SAS. The name "Spirit" in the name of this Spirit Aviation Systems company is the same English word as the recently acquired Spirit company by Boeing in international aviation news.

The company's Talos I drone completed its maiden flight in November 2022, with a length of 4.4 meters, a flight speed of 180 kilometers per hour, a mission radius of approximately 500 kilometers, and a maximum takeoff weight of approximately 200 kilograms. However, based on the slightly blurry first flight images released at the time, it is likely that the aircraft was used as a technical validation aircraft for the upcoming development of the Talos II drone.

There is limited information on the official website of SAS regarding the Talos, but the focus is on this type of quadcopter drone, which can be mounted and used with rockets.
At the Greece International Defense Exhibition held in May 2023, Talos II made its debut. SAS claims to be a hollow long endurance unmanned aerial vehicle. Compared to the Talos I, the two propeller power systems arranged above the nose have been upgraded, with the overall size enlarged, the payload increased to 60 kilograms, and the mission idle time exceeded 20 hours. The belly and wing mounts indicate that the aircraft has ground strike capability.

Another company is Intracom Defense (IDE). In May 2023, Israeli company IAI acquired this Greek company. The company's Low Observable Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (LOTUS) system focuses on low detectability, long range, high maneuverability, and battlefield survivability. It claims to have a strong anti-interference communication system and advanced artificial intelligence autonomy. The drone can independently analyze and process sensor data, complete target detection, recognition, and classification processing.

IDE's LOTUS system, consisting of a formation of "mother aircraft" and airborne "sub aircraft," closely follows the current development direction of drone technology in terms of concept.
A major highlight of the LOTUS system is the formation of a "swarm" of "mother and child aircraft" to collaborate in executing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. The "mother aircraft" in the system (with a reported wingspan of up to 9 meters) can carry up to 4 aerial launch drones as "sub aircraft". The "mother aircraft" can perform high-risk IRS missions before launching "sub aircraft" outside the defense zone, and can use multiple "sub aircraft" to form a network and cooperate to complete tasks, expanding the scope of the mission.
 

The development of the LOTUS system began in December 2020, with a project duration of 45 months. However, LOTUS is no longer a Greek drone development program - after evaluation by the European Defense Industry Development Program (EDIDP) Expert Committee, LOTUS has received a funding of 9.7 million euros in 2020, which will be developed based on NATO's airworthiness standards and interoperability for European drone projects in the future.

Its design, component matching, manufacturing, and testing are all based on Europe. The LOTUS Development Pan European Union, established under the coordination of IDE company, also includes several universities in Greece, the Greek Air Force, and enterprises in Cyprus, Spain, and the Netherlands.

The development of LOTUS is seen as having the significance of promoting the growth of European defense capabilities. IDE company stated that the LOTUS plan will be able to meet the combat needs of the Greek military within 5 years, achieve self-sufficiency in drones, form equipment performance advantages against opponents, and thereby enhance Greece's position in the emerging defense industry in Europe. The next phase of the LOTUS program will also develop towards unmanned attack aircraft and loyal drones.

The RX-1, RX-3, and RX-4 of the "Delar" program

At the same time as leading the LOTUS program, IDE is also promoting another drone program called the DELAER.

The plan began more than ten years ago, with the initial development of the RX-1 called the Greek Civil Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (HCUAV). The latest development is the RX-3 drone with wing body fusion and stealth features; The design work for both types of drones was led by Professor Kyros Yakinthos from Thessaloniki Aristotle University.

IDE claims that the RX-3 is primarily civilian and can be used as a cargo drone to quickly air drop life-saving supplies, medical and health supplies, and supplies to islands and difficult to reach areas within Greece through its internal cargo hold. The RX-3 widely uses composite materials in its manufacturing, with a load capacity of 50 kilograms, a cruising speed of 180 kilometers per hour, and a maximum range of 130 kilometers.

It is reported that the two scaled models of the aircraft with a 1:3 and 1:4 ratio have been validated during flight in 2020. However, from subsequent news reports, we have not seen the RX-3 make its maiden flight as originally planned in 2021. However, there have been reports that the UAE will consider providing financial support for the RX-3 drone project.

In 2021, IDE showcased an upgraded version of the RX-3, the RX-3 plus, with a wingspan of 7.15 meters, a length of 4.3 meters, a maximum clearance time of 13 hours, and a maximum ceiling of 3600 meters. A photoelectric turret was placed in the middle of the fuselage.

In addition, IDE has also launched a "downsized" version of the RX-3, the RX-4, which focuses on vertical takeoff and landing capabilities. The aircraft has a body length of 1 meter, a wingspan of 1.8 meters, a takeoff weight of 4.5 kilograms, and an expected idle time of 2 hours. In order to achieve vertical takeoff and landing, the RX-4 is equipped with an electric propeller in the center of the fuselage, and two "tilt rotors" are arranged at both ends of the nose. During the vertical takeoff and landing phase, these two rotors will turn to the vertical angle to generate lift. After takeoff, they will then turn to the horizontal position to push the RX-4 forward, while the propellers inside the fuselage stop rotating.

Not only self-developed, but also another weight on the balance

Through an inventory of drone projects from EAB, SAS, and IDE companies, we can see a close collaboration between Greek aviation manufacturing companies and university research institutes in drone development: the former in the "consortium" leads the organization and has expertise in production and manufacturing, while the latter contributes wisdom and technological innovation in development, as well as active participation and support from Greek government agencies and departments in the project.

Although some of the aircraft models launched by these "consortia" have not yet been officially equipped in the military, domestically produced Greek drones have been put into use in public areas such as healthcare, tailored to local transportation needs in the country.

It can be imagined that in the future, Greece's gains in the development and application of these aircraft models will undoubtedly "feed back" the development of military drone technology - just like IDE's statement: "We will apply the experience and technology accumulated in the 'Delar' plan to LOTUS.".