The new structure of the Armed Forces, strategic weapons and concerns among lower-ranking personnel

Today, during its session, the Cabinet is expected to springiness the “green light” to the roadmap for transitioning the Armed Forces into a caller era. The Minister of National Defense, Nikos Dendias, volition determination guardant with the New Structure, with an oculus connected the challenges of the existent geopolitical environment.

From La Spezia, accompanied by the Chief of the Hellenic Navy, Vice Admiral Dimitrios-Eleftherios Katara—who has implemented a bid of cost-saving measures and fund cuts for the Navy—Mr. Dendias met with his Italian counterpart Guido Crosetto aboard the Italian Navy’s frigate F 598 ITS. In the beingness of some ministers, the Director General for Defense Investments and Armaments (GDAEE), Lieutenant General Ioannis Bouras, and the Italian Director of National Armaments, Vice Admiral Giancinto Ottaviani, signed a Memorandum of Cooperation connected Naval Collaboration betwixt Greece and Italy and a Statement of Intent for the acquisition of 2+2 FREMM-class (Bergamini) frigates.

Although the archetypal negotiations had near the acquisition of 2+2 frigates open-ended, the information that this has present materialized—driven by aggravated determination competition—gave caller momentum to Ministry of Defense planners. Mr. Dendias stressed that the memorandum “opens the doorway for america to get 2 FREMM frigates—like the 1 we are connected now—with the enactment to get 2 more.”

“Two oregon 4 decade-old ships, with exceptional capabilities, successful fantabulous condition,” the Minister noted, adding: “Four Belharra frigates—Standard 2++. Two positive 2 FREMM frigates, outstanding. Modernized MEKO frigates. A genuinely important navy, capable to support the sovereignty and sovereign rights of our country, some successful the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean.”

Missiles arsenic a ‘Key Factor’
At the aforesaid time, the information that FREMM frigates tin besides transportation “the new-generation ELSA missile, which volition besides beryllium deployed connected the Belharra frigates,” arsenic Mr. Dendias said, constitutes “a tremendous deterrent power,” since these are strategical weapons that greatly upgrade the capabilities of the Hellenic Navy.

Notably, ELSA (European Long Range Strike Approach) is simply a French inaugural for the associated improvement and procurement of precocious deep-penetration precision weapons with a scope of implicit 1,000 km. These are presently lacking successful the EU but are considered indispensable for NATO’s large-scale operations.

Concerns Among Personnel
Meanwhile, the 2nd signifier of the New Structure of the Armed Forces includes changes to conscription, the reserve system, further consolidation of bases, and modifications to the moving conditions of subject personnel. Given that promotion opportunities are being drastically reduced, galore positions are efficaciously disappearing.

Lower-ranking unit (non-commissioned officers) are nether the astir pressure, arsenic successful caller years they had been astir equalized successful galore respects with elder officers—a concern that had caused beardown dissatisfaction among the apical ranks.

Against this backdrop, a telephone has been issued for a nationwide gathering of some active-duty and retired subject unit connected October 11 astatine 4 p.m. astatine the Old Parliament, followed by a march to Parliament and the Maximos Mansion. Already, 13 associations forming the Coordinating Body of Military Representatives (active and retired) person held a property conference, stressing that the 2030 Agenda “leads to smaller and weaker Armed Forces, with characteristics of a nonrecreational and salaried army, not afloat nationally oriented, and with a scent of privatization of everything—services, maintenance, and supply.”

Ahead of these wide mobilizations, the Panhellenic Federation of Military Associations (POMENS) is holding a league connected the theme: “MoD Omnibus Bill – HNDCs – NCO Academies – Volunteer NCOs – Professional Soldiers.” The event, featuring speakers Nikolaos Alivizatos, Dimitrios Vervesos, and Alkiviadis Evaggelatos, aims to clarify the stance and planned actions of subject unit going forward.