The creation of “one antidrone dome for the Armed Forces of our country” announced the Minister of National Defense Nikos Dendias, speaking today, Friday, January 26, at the ceremony of handing over the duties of commander of the 4th Army Corps “Thrace” from Lt. Gen. Democritos Konstantakos to Lt. Gen. Stavros Papastathopoulos.

Referring to our weapons systems, in the framework of the “2030 agenda”, he said that the antidrone canopy will allow our Armed Forces “to operate protected from the threat of droness”.

“The badge of the 20th Armored Division, in which I trained as an officer long, long ago,” he added, “says ‘under shadow,’ and Leonidas’ response to the Persian threat at Thermopylae I think can absolutely apply in this case.” ».

“Our intention is for the Armed Forces of our country in the modern complex environment to operate under the cover of a sophisticated antidrone canopy,” he added.

Besides, Mr. Dendias, during the presentation of a commemorative gift to the outgoing commander of the 4th Army Corps, said: “I consider that Thrace is an area of ​​enormous strategic interest for our homeland, but not only for our homeland.” “And that it has growth potential and a pivotal role to play, which is absolutely confirmed by developments and today’s reality, without in any way implying that we have reached the ceiling. There is unlimited potential for further development of Thrace at all these levels” he pointed out. He emphasized that “the main driving force of the Armed Forces is not its advanced weapon systems. It’s their human resources.”

“Exactly for this reason” he continued, “the country has the obligation to ensure the best possible conditions, so that the excellent personnel of the Armed Forces of our country can carry out their high mission without interruption.”

“A decision has been taken at the level of the Prime Minister and will be implemented by the Ministry of National Defense in cooperation with the Ministry of Finance in the immediate future, for a very large residential program to meet the needs of the Armed Forces executives. And not only the members of the Armed Forces, as a part of this residential program will also cover the needs of other members of the wider public sector who provide services to society as a whole, from the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education, i.e. doctors, teachers, teachers” he underlined. The first major phase of this “housing program, i.e. the construction of houses for executives” will start from Thrace and the Eastern Aegean and “will start right now”.

“Here in Thrace over 200 houses will be built over the next two yearsincreasing by almost 40% the available residences for our executives and others above 400 houses will be built on the islands of the eastern Aegean to be able to first of all relieve the executives and improve their living conditions” explained Mr. Dendias.

Finally, he wished the outgoing general and the new commander of the 4th Army Corps “every success in their highest duties”. The ceremony, which took place at the “Captain (PZ) Emmanuel Apostolidis” camp, in Xanthi, was attended by, among others, the MP Spyridon Tsilingiris, the regional governor of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace Christodoulos Topsidis, the mayor of Xanthi Efstratios Kontos, the venerable Metropolitan of Xanthi and Perithoriou Panteleimon, the Most Reverend Metropolitan of Didymoteicho Damascenes, the Most Reverend Metropolitan Anthimos of Alexandroupolis, the Most Reverend Mufti of Xanthi Nezden Hemseri. From the point of view of the military leadership, the “present” was given by the head of the GETHA general Dimitrios Houpis and the head of the GES lieutenant general Georgios Kostidis. The ceremony was also attended by senior and senior officers of the Armed Forces and the Security Forces, delegations of executives from the three Branches of the Armed Forces and Veterans Associations and representatives of the local government.