• Various programmes to upgrade and maintain existing aircraft and maintain the national air defence system (including the radar network). • In order to meet the needs of the newly established Special Forces Command, programmes have been kicked off to procure new parachutes, materials and spare parts for high-speed vehicles and boats, new high-speed boats for special purposes, as well as weaponry and equipment for snipers and ammunition of all kinds. • Provision of wireless stations of modern technology with satellite communication capability. All of these programmes are being handled through G2G negotiations, with the aim modernizing armed forces while supporting the renaissance of the related industrial sector in Greece. The recent acquisition in the air and naval sector clearly outlines what the Greek government expects from foreign companies selling to Greece, namely: • Contributing to the development of Greece‘s design and industrialization capabilities in a wide range of products and components. • Reinvigorating the national supply chain through contracts to small and medium-sized companies. • Investing in local infrastructure. • Retraining local workers. • Pledging to the country technology and know-how. Furthermore, the strong Israeli presence and the presence of exotic offerings such as the Slovakian 155/52mm artillery system Kostructa Zuzana 2 showcased at the latest DEFEA exhibition or the locally produced UAS IDE RX-3 Plus unveil the Greek desire to create or maintain certain niches of independence by resorting to ‚non-aligned‘, exotic systems, or in any case free from export or use constraints. Multiple actors… and counting Arms race stimulated by energy resources and political instability triggered the response of all stakeholders having some interest in the area. For instance, Greece has been fiercely reacting to Turkish ambition through renewed ties with the U.S., including advanced talks on the procurement of Lockheed Martin F-35A fighters, and France, including the purchase of 18 Dassault RAFALE, Naval Group FDI frigates, and talks over the new class of “European corvettes”. As far as energy is concerned, gas from the Eastern Mediterranean can enhance security and supply diversification for several European states, particularly in SouthEastern and Central Europe - regions which today depend on Russian gas. Economically, European companies are the most active in exploration and production in the region (notably Italy‘s ENI, France‘s Total and the Anglo-Dutch Shell) and France, Italy, and Great Britain consider legitimate to defend their interests if necessary. In this context, the EU has a strong interest in promoting all possible forms of regional cooperation and in defending its interests from an energy, economic and political point of view. France has been amongst the most active European countries, as it strengthened ties with Greece and pushes for multilateral cooperation amongst Italy, Egypt, Greece, Cyprus, and Israel over issues such as energy security and freedom of navigation, thus clearly embracing an anti-Turkish position. Italy has been more wavering, instead. Italy has big stake in Egypt and Cyprus because of ENI but has to take into consideration strong economic ties with Turkey and the fact that Ankara is supporting the government in Libya (probably underestimating the possibility that Ankara might even replace Rome in the future). In addition to local/regional dynamics, global powers – read U.S., Russia, and China – also have their own ambition for the region, in an attempt of expanding their spheres of influence or of preventing the adversary from doing it first. In brief, East Mediterranean is becoming a cauldron of conflicting interests that result into large and frequent military activities and ambitious procurement programmes. Kornet-T or indigenous Roketsan OMTAS ATGMs. This role, along with fire support duties, is shared with FNSS Kaplan MT light tank featuring a CMI Defence Cockerill 3105 turret with a 105mm gun. General mobility is improved thanks to the procurement of 95 FNSS Pars 6x6 and 8x8 as well as 528 BMC Kirpi 4x4 MRAPs. Greek response and procurement priorities Regional tensions triggered the Greek need to resume spending after a period of shrinking budget due to the economic crises. In the last three years, foreign delegations and industry restarted visiting Greece more often, as the country needs to modernise its armed forces as well as to revive its defence industry capabilities. The renewed US presence also offers food for thought on the impact that Washington‘s renewed activism in the region will have on the major arms market. The Chief of the Hellenic Defence Staff, General Konstantinos Floros, has delivered numerous speeches that highlighted gaps to fill in the Greek defence planning. He emphasised, among other things, that “the first priority is to ensure the operability of existing weapon systems, in order to exploit them optimally”. In other words, the extensive modernisation operation will take time and will be gradual. Albeit resources are growing, some constraints remain, and this forced the defence staff to establish some key priorities: • The upgrade of the army‘s operational capabilities with the acquisition of armoured reconnaissance vehicles, long-range guided missiles, and the modernisation of artillery. • The retention of all transport and attack helicopters in service (initially a reduction was planned). • The upgrade of individual equipment and general-purpose vehicles (multi-role vehicles, trucks, tractors, etc.). • The progressive replacement of all frigates and corvettes of previous generations, already started with the programme for the acquisition of four Naval Group FDI frigates and the upgrade of four of the existing Elli-class frigates. • The modernisation of P-3B aircraft, the acquisition of new MH-60 Romeo helicopters, and the supply of a new type of heavy torpedo. At the same time, the replenishment of stocks of all types of ammunition and guided missiles is underway. • The modernization of the Air Force with the acquisition of Dassault Rafale and possibly Lockheed Martin F-35s. Meanwhile, the upgrade of the F-16 Block 52+ to the Viper standard continues, with a large participation of the Hellenic aerospace industry. • The establishment of a state-of-the-art flight training centre in Kalamata, which will become international. The flight school officially opened in October 2022, and it is run in partnership with Israel. The goal is to offer 7,000 flight hours per year on Beechcraft T-6 Texan II basic training aircraft and 3,500 flight hours on Leonardo M-346 Master. 36 · MT 2/2023 Nations in Focus: Greece Fire trials of Panter towed howitzer, part of the modernization of Turkish artillery. (Photo: Turkish Army)
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