According to reports in Greek and Turkish media, India has “unofficially offered” Greece its Long Range Land Attack Cruise Missile (LR-LACM), a move seen as a strategic rebuttal to Turkey’s defense cooperation with Islamabad and its backing of Pakistan.
Turkish news sites like TR Haber first reported these allegations, quoting Greek defense websites like GeoStratigika. According to the sources, India is attempting to strengthen its alliance with Greece, Turkey’s regional adversary, by possibly sharing cutting-edge missile technology, despite the country’s tense relations with Turkey.
The reports are based on unsubstantiated statements made by Greek and Turkish media, and neither the Greek nor Indian governments have formally confirmed any missile transfer or sale. “Unofficially offered” implies that any conversations have not been formally codified or publicly recognized.
The LR-LACM, created by India’s DRDO, has a range of more than 1,000 kilometers, is capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads, and has sophisticated navigation for intricate maneuvers and high-precision strikes.
At the DEFEA-25 defense show in Athens, India displayed the LR-LACM, indicating its intention to sell the missile globally and investigate defense cooperation with allies, including Greece. There is no concrete proof that missile transfer talks took place at the display, despite interactions between the heads of the Indian and Greek Air Forces.
The reports come during a time of worsening India-Turkey relations brought on by Turkey’s outspoken support for Pakistan, and they coincide with increased India-Greece defense collaboration, including high-level visits and joint military exercises. Mirroring Turkey’s previous arms backing for Pakistan, Turkish media have characterized this possible missile supply as a “revenge move” by India.
In order to offset Turkey’s assistance for Pakistan, former Indian military personnel have openly called for supplying Greece; nevertheless, these views do not represent official policy or verified arms deliveries. Although Indian delegates at DEFEA-25 did indicate that they were open to international collaborations, no formal agreements pertaining to the LR-LACM have been made public.
India has not formally confirmed that it has offered or agreed to supply Greece with the LR-LACM. Due to the current geopolitical environment and continuous defense exhibitions, the stories are based on conjecture and unsubstantiated assertions in regional media.
However, these narratives and increased regional sensitivities have been fueled by India’s public display of the missile in Greece and its strengthening defense ties with Athens.
Claims of an unofficial Indian missile offer to Greece have been fueled by media stories and defense analysts, although these are still hypothetical and unsupported. A formal or informal missile transfer arrangement has not yet been confirmed, but the situation highlights the growing strategic alignment between Greece and India amid deteriorating India-Turkey relations.
