S-300PMU1 Air Defense System

Greece operates the S-300PMU1 — originally purchased by Cyprus in 1997 but transferred to Greece in 1998 under a diplomatic agreement. Deployed on Crete, it provides engagement capability against aircraft, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles at ranges up to 150 km using the 48N6E missile. Greece's S-300 is uniquely anomalous within NATO — a Russian system integrated into a Western alliance structure, creating significant interoperability challenges with IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) compatibility for NATO aircraft. Vietnam also operates the more advanced S-300PMU-2 variant.