Greece's Patriot air defense battery will remain stationed in Saudi Arabia, Defense Minister Nikos Dendias confirmed aft...

Greece's Patriot air defense battery will remain stationed in Saudi Arabia, Defense Minister Nikos Dendias confirmed after meeting Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman in Riyadh on Thursday, October 15. The Greek battery is deployed in Yanbu, where it guards Saudi Arabia's critical energy infrastructure. Both the Crown Prince and the Saudi defense minister personally thanked Greece for the contribution, with technical arrangements for maintaining the system on the ground among the key topics discussed. After the meetings in Riyadh, Dendias traveled to Yanbu to visit the Greek military contingent operating the Patriot system. He was briefed by the commander of the Hellenic Force in Saudi Arabia and met with Greek service members to thank them for their work. The deployment has proven its worth under live combat conditions. Since March 19, 2026, the Greek crew in Yanbu has intercepted four ballistic missiles and three drones launched by Iranian and Houthi forces against energy facilities in western Saudi Arabia, achieving a 100% hit rate with seven successful interceptions from seven missiles fired. Dendias made clear the mission serves Greek interests too, not just Saudi ones. "Through their presence here, they gain useful experience. Experience that the Greek Armed Forces need, because, as we know very well, Greece is not a country that faces no threats," he said. He added that the region is, in his words, "not a neighborhood of angels." The minister also said the mission raises Greece's international profile and demonstrates the operational capabilities of its armed forces to the wider world. Separately, Greece and Saudi Arabia have been in discussions over a potential Saudi-funded upgrade of all six of Greece's long-range Patriot batteries, estimated at around $350 million. Those talks were frozen earlier in 2026 as global demand for air defense systems surged, but Greek officials say negotiations with Riyadh are still ongoing. #Greece #PatriotMissiles #GreekMilitary