Greece and France signed a new arms deal on Thursday with Athens to buy three Belharra frigates and six more Rafale fighter jets. The Rafale fighter jets will be sold to Greece by Dassault Aviation and would be delivered from the summer of 2024, bringing the Hellenic Air Force’s fleet …

Main opposition leader Alexis Tsipras, head of the SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance, told the Parliament that his party supports the purchase of the new frigates but it is not prepared to give the government “carte blanche” regarding armaments spending. “No one doubts the importance of increasing the country’s deterrent capacity but it …

Greece and France signed a major defense deal and a strategic partnership deal on Tuesday morning. In the presence of French President Emmanuel Macron and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the French and Greek foreign and defense ministers signed the deal of 3+1 Belharra frigates estimated to be worth 5 …

Amid ongoing tension with neighboring Turkey and support from France, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced on Saturday evening that the Greek Armed Forces will acquire next to weapons also 18 Rafale and 4 new frigates. From the floor of Thessaloniki HELLEXPO, the Prime Minister said that Greek Defense has …

Daily Kathimerini published on Wednesday a picture revealed the damage sustained to the right side of the stern of the Turkish frigate “Kemal Reis” during the collision with Greek frigate “Limnos” on August 12. The captain of the Kemal Reis had sought to obstruct the Limnos, prompting the Greek ship …

Defense Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos on Tuesday congratulated the captain of Greek frigate Limnos that accidentally collided with Turkish frigate Kemal Reis during a standoff in the eastern Mediterranean last week. According to tovimaonline,  Minister Panagiotopoulos contacted Limnos Commander Ioannis Salaris via radio and congratulated him for his professionalism. “You’re a …

Greek frigate Limnos has reportedly collided with or better say rammed Turkish frigate TCG Kemalreis destroying its propeller and causing serious damage. The incident has allegedly taken place on Wednesday. According to the news website armyvoice.gr, the incident occurred in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, more or less in the area …

A Turkish cargo vessel suspected of transporting arms to Libya has rejected a call for inspection sent by a Greek frigate within the framework of EU’s  Operation Irini that safeguards the UN-imposed arms embargo to the country in North Africa. The Turkish vessels has been spotted in the central Mediterranean …

Two Turkish frigates have been spotted off Libya as Turkey ramps up its military support for the U.N.-recognised government in Tripoli against an offensive by the eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA), website Drive reported on Tuesday. The frigates were spotted, as emerging reports claim that Turkish troops and heavy armor …

The Greek Navy will deploy a frigate to escort French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle on a part of its mission in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. President Emmanuel Macron said last week that the Charles de Gaulle will be escorted by forces from Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain and Greece. …

Greek Defense Minister, Nikos Panagiotopoulos, said that a French frigate would arrive shortly in block 7 of Cyprus’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) where French energy giant Total holds a concession with Italy’s Eni. Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi said on Thursday his company would not drill off Cyprus if it meant …

An unexpected incident occurred in the early morning hours of Friday, when the Greek Navy frigate “ELLI” ran aground in the sandy sea bottom off the island of Samothraki in the North-West Aegean Sea. The incident occurred with the multinational military exercise PARMENION 2019 to be in its final stage. …

Greece wants to shield the country in the face of Turkish challenges and provocations and will buy two French frigates, media reported over the weekend. The deal was fixed during the visit of Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, to Paris and his meeting with President Emmanuel Macron on August 22. The …

There go 400 million euros under water and the captain’s career. The Norwegian frigate “KNM Helge Ingstad“ sank deeper in the water in the night from Monday to Tuesday, just days after its  crew ignored warning signals by a Greek-owned tanker that a collision was imminent. The pictures made public by the …

The crew on board of the Norwegian frigate KNM Helge Ingstad  have ignored multiple warnings sent not only by the Greek-owned tanker Sola but also by maritime traffic authorities based at nearby Fedje, local media report. The frigate responded at least once to the warnings, claiming they “had control.” They …

A race against time is underway in the North Sea with huge efforts to prevent a Norwegian frigate from sinking. A Greek-owned crude oil tanker collided with frigate KNM Helge Ingstad off Norway last night. Aerial footage of the KNM Helge Ingstad taken at various points today by #Norway Coastal …

After a marathon deposition of 20 hours, former Defense Minister Yiannos Papantoniou was remanded in custody late on Tuesday. Handcuffs were passed also to his wife Stavroula Kourakou. Both face charges for money laundering of 2.800.000 Swiss Francs (2.4 million euros) from kickbacks from the time he was Defense Minister …

Turkey is challenging the Greek continental shelf  and claims that a Greek frigate harassed the Turkish vessel Barbaros conducting seismic activity research off Cyprus. Turkish research vessel Barbaros and the frigate of the Greek Navy Nikiforos came dangerously close in the broader sea area west of Pafos in Cyprus.  The …

Amid great confusion over the alleged leasing of two French FREMM frigates, Defense Minister Panos Kammenos organized a press conference to clarify the issue. Greek Prime Minister, Alexis Tsipras, and French President, Emmanuel Macron, have discussed the possible construction of frigates in Greece, Kammenos said on Wednesday morning. The Defense …

The two French frigates FREMM will not come to Greece. French media reported on Tuesday morning that the French Defense Minister had dismissed Greek reports of last week that the French Navy would lease two FREMM frigates to Greece. According to what Greek Alternate Defense Minister, Fotis Kouvelis, said last …