Regarding the growing provocation on the part of Turkey, the minister estimated that perhaps the Turkish leadership is bothered by the fact that Greece, with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, is raising its geopolitical stature.
“These behaviors are to be treated in terms of the military penal code and not in a relaxed manner,” said the Minister of National Defense. Nikos Panagiotopoulos in an interview with the newspaper “Ta Nea”, you were asked to comment on his recent urging in Parliament to the Chiefs of Staff to take action to control the leakage phenomenon.
Mr. Panagiotopoulos reiterated his concern for leakage anywhere and in the media, classified information on security issues such as e.g. stocks and systems capabilities of the Armed Forces. “We must all assume our responsibilities. “I will give directions immediately,” he said characteristically.
For the replacement of the “BMP-1” Armored Vehicles by an equal number of “Marder 1A3” he reiterated that the agreement is considered beneficial and advantageous for the Armed Forces, according to the opinion of the Staffs. “Marders” are more modern compared to “BMP-1”, with better support capabilities and capabilities in the field, he stressed, while characterizing the issue of simultaneous replacement of “BMP-1” with them as critical, so as not to there is the slightest gap in our defensive lineup. “Our goal is to move fast but also to ensure what we ask for,” he said.
Regarding the further strengthening of the Fleet, he announced that “at the moment, the Navy is considering the final proposals from the companies interested in the corvette program and for the upgrade of four MEKOs so that the decisions can be taken within the summer, according to the schedule”. He noted that “it is absolutely crucial to complete the relevant investment initiatives at the Skaramaga and Elefsina shipyards in order to bring shipbuilding work to Greece, but to shipyards with upgraded capabilities in order to execute it correctly and quickly. I appreciate that we are close. “Maybe very close.”
Answering the question “about growing provocation on the part of Turkey which openly and formally questions the sovereignty of Greek islands “, Mr. Panagiotopoulos estimated that perhaps the Turkish leadership is bothered by the fact that Greece with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is raising geopolitical stature, systematically building strategic alliances with strong international players. rapidly the total deterrent power of the Armed Forces. The escalation may be due in part to pre-election tactics, in order to rally the internal audience around the face of the leader who is facing serious internal problems, especially in the economic field.
“In any case, what the government and the prime minister are interested in is building a strong wall to stop Turkish revisionism, in order to vigorously defend our sovereign rights. “This is what we sought from the beginning, this is what we are doing,” he said.
Answering a question whether we can have a repeat of the “hot” summer of 2020, after reiterating that the geopolitical environment is not only complicated, but has now become fluid and dangerous, he pointed out:
“It takes all our concentration, all our forces to be ready, combative and deterrent. Continuous work on many fronts (alliances, multilateral or bilateral formations, partnerships, armaments, infrastructure) is required by many. However, I have confidence in the personnel of the Armed Forces, from the leadership to the base of the hierarchy, that they will respond as they did in the summer of 2020 and whenever required. We as a political leadership are here to help them do their job better. “
The Minister of National Defense referred to the actions of the government in the last two years to strengthen the overall Armed forces “Not in the midst of a climate of calm and comfort, but in very difficult conditions from the almost simultaneous management of unprecedented crises, even war on European soil.”
He recalled the contracts for the supply of 24 Rafale and the ongoing modernization of F-16s in Viper, the imminent receipt of the first Romeo helicopters, the gradual receipt of M1117 armor, the acquisition of three state-of-the-art Belharra frigates, the Israeli missile systems, the strategic agreement to establish an international Ikarus training center in Kalamata, follow-up contracts for Apache, Mirage 2000-5 and C-27 transports that are already improving availability. “There was a serious plan, we achieved tangible results and we continue,” he said.
