Turkey's missile ambitions sparked by meteor deal disputes
Turkey is striving for a contract to strengthen its army with Meteor missiles. The Greek authorities are constantly trying to prevent this, appealing to the countries that produce this weapon. Greek media suggest that after the purchase, Turkey may reverse-engineer the Meteor missiles and use the acquired knowledge in its defense industry.
Although Greece and Turkey are both part of NATO, relations between these two countries have been tense for years. In 2022, the German daily "Die Welt" even described the conflict between Athens and Ankara as a "cold war in the Aegean Sea." In January this year, Greece received the last of 24 ordered French Rafale fighters, significantly strengthening its air force. Turkey does not want to be left behind and is looking for partners to discuss modern armaments.
Turkey wants to buy Meteor missiles
Currently, Turkish authorities are focusing, among other things, on upgrading their F-16s and are engaged in tough negotiations with the United States regarding the F-35. Another option is to go for Eurofighter Typhoon jets.
According to information from the Greek portal eKathimerini, Turkey has decided to facilitate negotiations by linking the purchase of Eurofighter Typhoon with Meteor missiles. From a technical standpoint, this is a logical move, as these jets are among the few aircraft adapted to carry such missiles (interestingly, the Rafale aircraft acquired by Greece can also do this).
The Greeks do not want the Turkish air force to be strengthened in this way. In January, the Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias announced that he had met with the French Ambassador Laurence Auer. During the conversation, he requested official information regarding the sale of Meteor missiles to Turkey.
Reverse engineering of Meteor missiles
Greek media are speculating further, stating that Turkey will use the purchase of Meteor missiles not only to directly strengthen its air force but will also dismantle the missile and replicate some features to enhance their Gökhan missiles, whose development began in 2021 but remains mostly secretive.
According to TRT World, French President Emmanuel Macron has already rejected the Greek authorities' request to block the sale of Meteor missiles to Turkey, reminding them that this weapon is produced not only by France but also by the European MBDA consortium, along with the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Sweden. The Greeks are now expected to make similar requests to the authorities of all these countries.
The Meteor is a modern air-to-air missile weighing approximately 420 pounds. It provides a range of about 125 miles and offers excellent maneuvering capabilities in the final phase of flight, thanks to the presence of an additional ramjet engine.
