The rapid technological developments, cyber attacks and Artificial Intelligence, as well as the armed conflicts of recent years in our region, highlight more than ever the need for the modernization and adaptation of the Armed Forces to the new data.
This was emphasized by the Minister of National Defense, Nikos Dendias, in an interview he gave to the newspaper “Nautemboriki”.
“Main elements of the reform are the development of research and innovation, with the creation of the relevant ecosystem in the Armed Forces, the modernization of the institutional framework of the Higher Military Educational Institutions, the establishment of a Joint Informatics Corps,” explained Mr. Dendias.
“Greece,” he said, “must be prepared for all eventualities. To have a strong presence on the international stage, to guard in practice what has been achieved in its foreign policy in the last four years and, relying on its Armed Forces, to be an important factor of security and stability”.
Regarding the Greek frigate “Hydra” he said that it is on a mission serving “the national interests, as a unit of the Navy of the country with the largest merchant fleet on the planet, the safety of our sailors and the freedom of the supply routes of Greece, which affect the cost of living and the value of the country as a transit hub”.
Mr. Dendias made it clear that “today the need for the creation of a defense arm in the EU is more imperative than ever.”
“We must,” he added, “not allow countries that have revisionist and expansionist ambitions to implement their plans and take all necessary preventive measures.”
For the formulation of the new European Defense Industrial Strategy, he underlined that “what is envisaged for a common market, in a significant proportion, of defense equipment, as well as the safeguards for half of defense supplies of European origin, is a great opportunity not only for the formation of a common understanding about Security, but also about our defense industry”.
“Greece attaches particular importance to this strategy for the defense self-sufficiency of the EU and is committed to actively participate in any initiative aimed at the defense of the European space,” he added.
He emphasized that having our country have a strong Defense “is a condition of national survival” and continued: “This does not mean, on the other hand, that our expenditures will be reckless, as they should take into account budgetary margins. For the same reason, I asked the General Staff to prioritize and re-evaluate the future equipment programs, with the drawing up of a new 12-year program”.
“The goal,” he said, “is that every euro that will be spent on Defense is a real need that will be met in the most cost-effective way.”
With the implementation of the “Agenda 2030”, “we aspire”, he said, to leave the logic of “shopping off the shelf” and “move to the development of defense technology programs that have domestic added value”.
“In this way, investments in Defense will not only not be characterized as “counterproductive” from an economic point of view, but will contribute to the development of our country and to the increase in employment,” explained Mr. Dendias.
On the country’s defense industry, he said there are “reputable companies in the industry, but we don’t want them to be isolated cases.”
He characterized the EAB as an “emblematic case”, “in which we want to give it the role that Konstantinos Karamanlis envisioned for it”.
“The undertaking of its supervision by the Ministry of National Defense was a necessary condition in order to achieve the rescue of the company. After all, without a smoothly functioning ODA, our Air Force cannot carry out its mission without problems,” he clarified.
Overall for the Defense Industry, he said “our intention is to create an ecosystem that is different than what exists today.”
He added that Greece “has a specialized and experienced industry” in the field of shipyards, with the Skaramanga Shipyards and the Elefsina Shipyards, while he continued: “The acceptance by the US of the proposal to participate in the construction of new Constellation-type frigates is a great national success” .
“This acceptance has a huge operational benefit, as our country, in combination with the acquisition of the 3 new FDIs, has the possibility to enter the next decade with newly built, in most of its fleet, ships” he added.
On the changes to service, he said there would be an emphasis “on combining the development of digital and other skills during military service – which can be useful after it – with intensive military training, which is adapted to the relatively short time of service ».
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