Greece Pushes to Acquire State-of-the-Art Weapons to Support 'Military Power Myth'

[Kim Da-in, Researcher, Aviation Guidance Research Team 3, Defense Technology Quality Institute] Last September, the Prime Minister of Greece announced a priority plan for defense procurement focusing on fighter jets, warships, and advanced weapons to be introduced over the coming years.

The Prime Minister announced that the Hellenic Air Force plans to acquire 18 Rafale fighter jets (photo), equivalent to one squadron, to replace the aging Mirage 2000 fighters. These aircraft will form an air combat force alongside the modernized F-16V fighters.

The Hellenic Navy has initiated procedures to acquire four multi-purpose frigates and will upgrade the performance of the four currently operated MEKO 200HN frigates. Additionally, equipment improvements will be made with anti-armor weapons for the Army, heavyweight torpedoes for the Navy, and guided weapons for the Air Force, while investments will also be made in cybersecurity to prepare against cyberattacks. Furthermore, 15,000 professional male and female soldiers will be recruited.

The Defense Procurement Subcommittee of the Hellenic Parliament approved the commencement of four projects planned by the Defense Procurement Investment Directorate. These include ▲ procurement, performance upgrades, and follow-up support for heavyweight torpedoes for submarines ▲ support and maintenance for the RAM missile air defense system ▲ service life extension for the Scalp EG missiles of the Hellenic Air Force ▲ and the cartridge actuation device/propellant actuation device (CAD-PAD) trigger mechanism project for fighter jet ejection seats. These projects are expected to receive final approval from the Defense and Foreign Policy Committee within the next few months.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.