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| Greece Will Not be Subject to CAATSA Sanctions Despite Having Russian S-300 Missiles System |
Washington - Greece is one of the countries that has the most advanced missile system from Russia, namely the S-300 missile. This missile system has certainly been acquired since the Soviets still existed. However, Greece will not be sanctioned by the US. This information is provided by the US Department of State directly.
Quoted from Bulgarian Military, the answer was given to a question from the Hellas Journal website to representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The US has confirmed that the acquired S-300s do not fall under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act [CAATSA].
A State Department spokesman said the acquisition of the S-300 took place in the 1990s. Meanwhile, CAATSA sanctioned significant arms purchases made on or after August 2, 2017, a State Department spokesperson said in a statement.
In his statement, the spokesman also said that the US is committed to encouraging NATO allies to ensure their interoperability.
Read Also: Greece Places Radar Lock on Turkey's F-16 Fighter Jet in NATO Mission, How Will NATO Respond?
Previously, it was reported that Greece performed a radar lock on a Turkish F-16 that was on a NATO mission. It turned out that the radar key came from a Greek S-300 battery located on the Greek island of Crete. During the F-16's flying reconnaissance mission, a radar lock was also captured at an altitude of 10,000 feet.
Interference with one country's radar against another country's military aircraft is defined as a "hostile act" in NATO's Rules of Engagement. The S-300 missile is a series of Soviet long-range surface-to-air missile systems.
Quoted from military-history.fandom.com, the S-300 system was developed to defend against aircraft and cruise missiles for the Soviet Air Defense Forces. Subsequent variations were developed to intercept ballistic missiles.
The S-300 system, first used by the Soviet Union in 1979, was designed for air defense of large industrial and administrative facilities, military bases and airspace control against enemy attack aircraft. The system is fully automated, although manual observation and operation is also possible.