Greece expands drone surveillance network to Lesvos

Greece is expanding its maritime surveillance network in the Aegean Sea through the deployment of V-BAT vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) drones. Following the establishment of a support base at Maritsa Airport in Rhodes, the military is now moving to establish a permanent installation on Lesvos.

Evidence of this permanent infrastructure includes the construction of a covered shelter in Pagani, Lesvos, designed to protect ground support vehicles for the drone units. This shift from temporary deployments to permanent bases aims to provide continuous, real-time monitoring of the maritime borders and straits near Turkey.

The V-BAT is a Group 3 tactical unmanned aircraft system capable of operating from minimal surfaces of just five square meters. The Greek Army plans to operate a fleet of between 20 and 24 aircraft, having already acquired initial units through donations and approved programs for additional systems.