Defense Minister Nikos Dendias unveiled a sweeping defense overhaul, pledging to modernize Greece’s military capabilities and enhance transparency in defense procurement, emphasizing the country’s security must be more than mere rhetoric.
“If the program is implemented, I assure you, defending the homeland will be a real capability, not just a verbal commitment in our meetings,” Mr. Dendias said in Parliament, outlining a shift in military doctrine with a new strategy dubbed the “Shield of Achilles.”
“We are moving away from the idea that the Aegean is defended solely by the navy.
We are adopting a new approach with a more capable and cost-effective multiple missile system,” he explained, citing the country's security threats and warning against complacency.
To address past procurement scandals, Mr. Dendias announced measures to increase transparency. He renounced the privilege of appointing the director of armaments, opting for a permanent military officer recommended by the General Staff.
A permanent state legal advisor will be stationed in the Armaments Directorate, alongside a military prosecutor in the Internal Affairs Department.
The parliamentary committee on defense procurements will receive updates every six months, and contracts exceeding €10 million will require committee oversight.
Mr. Dendias is also pushing for changes in the staffing process for the Directorate of Armaments and an expanded role for the ministry’s Internal Affairs unit.
The department will cooperate with the Independent Authority for Public Revenue for financial audits and bank account scrutiny.
Mr. Dendias urged lawmakers to keep national security issues out of political disputes.
Addressing military salaries, he acknowledged the risk of talent loss due to low wages and promised that savings from defense restructuring would be redistributed.
He dismissed demands to keep military bases open for political expediency, calling for a fresh mindset and national consensus on defense strategy.
“If we don’t all make an effort, we will not succeed,” he said.
By Emmanuella Argiti