Greece plans to significantly increase its domestic drone production. By the end of 2026, the Ministry of National Defence’s factories are expected to reach a production capacity of around 15,000 drones per year.
Two military facilities — the 316th Regional Technical Workshop in Xanthi and the 306th Base Factory in Attica — currently have a combined production capacity of around 5,000 drones per year. According to the Greek Ministry of National Defence, this figure is expected to increase to 15,000 after the completion of the 309th Unmanned Systems Manufacturing Factory.
The new 309th factory is located in Malakasa. Its facilities cover approximately 2,800 square meters. The facility is intended to become a production, technical and support center for unmanned systems.
At the same time, Greece is developing mobile production units. They are intended to be capable of manufacturing, repairing, configuring and testing drones close to the area of operations. The plan also includes creating on-site drone production capabilities at the brigade level.
According to Minister of National Defence Nikos Dendias, after reaching a production capacity of 5,000 drones per year, Greece expects to exceed 100,000 units within approximately one and a half to two years. By the end of 2030, the stated goal is a production capacity of more than 1 million drones per year.
The figures refer specifically to production capacity rather than the creation of a stockpile of 1 million ready-made drones. This approach is linked to the rapid development of small FPV drones: according to Dendias, storing large stocks for long periods could result in technological obsolescence.
Personnel training is another part of the program. An Inter-Service Training Center for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles was opened in Tripoli, where personnel are to be trained, new drones and counter-drone systems tested, and capabilities for surveillance and early warning developed, according to ProtoThema.
The Greek Armed Forces are also developing their own counter-drone systems, including the “Kentavros” system and other anti-drone solutions.
