Greece has converted an army facility to mass-produce drones, following lessons learned from the war in Ukraine, according to Greek Reporter.
The venue, named 306 Telecommunications Base Factory (EBT), is located in Acharnes near Athens and can produce over 1,000 drones annually, primarily first-person view models.
The 306 EBT also produces drone software, operating as an integrated research, development, and production facility.
It includes portable drone production stations that can be moved to frontline positions for on-site support.
Athens plans to expand this operational model beyond the 306 EBT site, according to Greek Reporter.
“We will continue this transition, because our country is a country facing a threat. And the hope for us to be able to deter threats throughout time is to develop our own Greek capabilities,” stated Greece’s Defence Minister Nikos Dendias.
Boosting Defense Efforts
Greece is ramping up its defense efforts, planning to spend 26 billion euros ($28 billion) on new weapons systems by 2036, with a focus on modernizing and expanding drone capabilities.
In September, the European nation announced the creation of a drone and counter-drone training school in Tripoli, in the south of the country.
The facility is expected to upgrade the city’s existing conscript training center into a hub for advanced drone operations and integrate new technologies into the Greek Armed Forces.
In 2024, the US State Department approved a potential $130-million sale of Aerosonde drones and armored vehicles to Athens, including drones with anti-spoofing and GPS systems.
Earlier the same year, Greece approved the acquisition of around 590 Switchblade 300 and 600 loitering munitions from AeroVironment.
