The new IRIX, which will be built by the joint venture of Greek Defense Systems and a UAE-based South African company, is changing everything in the Aegean.
Greek state-owned company Hellenic Defense Systems is preparing to locally produce long-range munitions in partnership with South Africa's Paramount Group, a move aimed at boosting the country's domestic manufacturing capabilities.
Named IRIX, the system will be the first of its kind to be produced in Greece, which historically has not had a significant domestic market for equipped drones or roving munitions.
Greece announced its first locally made combat drone just in January.
EAS announced the signing of a strategic partnership with global aerospace company Paramount for the new weapon at a defense industry exhibition in Athens this week.
The IRIX roving munition is based on Paramount's existing N-Raven unmanned vehicle technology.
The N-Raven, manufactured by UAE-based subsidiary Paramount Aerospace Systems (PAS), began production last month in Abu Dhabi with the first deliveries scheduled for October.
Speaking to Defense News at the International Defense Exhibition & Conference in Abu Dhabi, UAE, in February, a Paramount representative said the system was designed specifically for rapid technology transfers to facilitate localization for customers.
This scenario is expected to take place in Greece with IRIX.
The Greek company will also participate in ongoing research and development of future upgrades to the platform.
The specific capabilities of the new roving munition have yet to be officially revealed, but information is available. Paramount has described it as a cost-effective system capable of striking high-value targets deep inside enemy territory as well as providing aerial reconnaissance.
Since its design is based on the N-Raven, IRIX could be in the air for between 2 and 4.5 hours, have a range of up to 100 km, and will be able to carry more than 13 kg of payload.
PAS has also previously stated that a swarming version of the N-Raven is in advanced stages of development and is expected to be industrialized in the second half of 2024. It remains unclear whether Greece plans to acquire this capability.
Hovering munitions are like an unmanned vehicle, launched from the ground in all conditions with the operator directing them to the target. Depending on their type, they operate within a radius of 200 km, and have a range of up to 9 hours flying at 15,000 feet.
New techniques and new methods are emerging from a cruel and merciless war between Ukraine, combined with the "orgasm" in the Turkish defense industry and the crude threats we have been receiving from Ankara, at least for two years.
The early lessons of this war bring to the fore again the "forgotten" and neglected Greek infantry, which, as everything shows, will be upgraded in terms of its capabilities immediately.
The new doctrine wants future Greek "infantrymen" to operate in small groups modeled after tank destroyers, command posts, supply lines and missile arrays.
Equipped with floating munitions, our men will be able to neutralize a whole range of targets, from headquarters and concentrations of weapons systems, to ammunition depots and even long-range anti-aircraft systems like TAYFUN missiles.
Adapted all these to our islands, they will almost certainly bring changes, in combination with the new weapon systems (floating ammunition-drones-communication systems and TOMA).
In this way we will create a new type (permit the expression) of "infantry-"exterminator", which acting in small groups equipped with modern weapons, will be able to cause irreparable damage, for example in the landing of enemy (Turkish) forces on our islands , which the Turks clearly have in their sights (statements by Akar and other Turkish officials).
It is about the creation of small groups of infantry, (4-6 people) which equipped with floating ammunition-drones-communication systems-portable anti-aircraft systems, and reinforced rifles, will not only be able to inflict blows on any attempt to land enemy forces, but will they also guide helicopter-aircraft attacks to the target, timely and above all deadly effectively.
This elite force in our islands, will patrol in hard-to-reach places near uninhabitable coasts, possible air-landing points, being in full readiness to shoot down and neutralize any possible enemy effort at its inception.
