site.btaGreece to Build Major New Drone Factory in 2026, Says Greek Defence Minister

Work will start this year to convert an abandoned military factory north of Athens into a major plant that will build drones for land, air, marine and submarine use as well as drone-zapping systems, Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias said on Friday, as quoted by the eKathimerini daily.

Speaking at a ceremony to lay the foundations of the new unit near Malakasa, Dendias said that it will boost annual production of small military drones from 4,000 to about 10,000 a year, with an additional 600 larger drones being made annually.

“Unmanned systems and anti-drone systems are a vital element of the new operational mentality,” Dendias is quoted as saying. 

The eKathimerini recalls that Greece has already invested heavily in foreign-made drones as part of a massive, multi-billion euro military investment drive that includes French frigates and fighter jets and US warplanes, as well as a broad, Israeli-style air defence system against missiles and drones.

On Friday, Dendias also stressed the importance of domestic manufacturing. “We must participate, not only as purchasers and users of systems … but also as a country that produces, designs and develops them," he noted.