Greece spends over 2% of its GDP for defense, and this is a ticket to survival, National Defense Minister Nikos Dendias told the 28th Annual Economist Government Round table in a panel on Tuesday. “We are not simply spending. We are reforming,” Dendias said at the conference. “We call it …
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Greece is talks with USA to co-produce Constellation frigates
Greece is in talks with the US to co-produce US-designed Constellation-class frigates, Defense Minister Nikos Dendias said on Monday. “We are discussing with the US the joint design and co-production of the new generation of Constellation frigates,” Dendias said after a meeting with his Cypriot counterpart, Vasilis Palmas in Athens. …
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Greek MoD Dendias calls for “domestic defense industry”
Greece’s National Defense Minister Nikos Dendias called for the establishment of a domestic defense industry, since the country spends so much on armament. He stressed that it was intolerable that domestic defense industry production should be “zero or near zero” in a country that spends so much on weapons systems …
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Greek MOD on national sovereignty and the Lausanne Treaty
“Matters of national sovereignty cannot be the subject of a dialogue with any country,” National Defence Minister Nikos Dendias stressed on Monday, addressing a seminar on “The Lausanne Treaty: 100 years after its signing” held at the Officers’ Mess of the Armed Forces. “Any discussion between Greece and Turkiye and …
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Greek MoD calls for NATO unity in solidarity with Israel against Hamas
Greece’s Defense Minister Nikos Dendias has reaffirmed Greece’s solidarity with Israel in the wake of “Hamas’ barbaric attack,” urging all NATO alliance members to adopt a resolute position on the matter. In comments to journalists ahead of NATO defense ministers’ meeting in Brussels on Wednesday, Dendias emphasized that Greece understands …
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Ammunition explosions: Defense Minister requests safety plans for all military camps
Defense Minister Nikos Dendias announced on Friday morning that he has requested an urgent sworn investigation from the Chief of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff regarding the massive ammunition explosions in a depot of 111 Combat Wing Air Base in central Greece on Thursday afternoon. “If there are any …
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Greece to further reinforce its defense capabilities, proceed with armament acquisition
Defense Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos has clarified Greece’s decision to further reinforce its defensive capabilities. In an interview with Kathimerini Sunday edition, he said that “we can expect decisions on new corvettes, the acquisition of new guided missiles from Israel and upgrades of Block 50 F-16 fighter jets and Leopard battle …
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Greece is considering to deploy combat soldiers to Sahel war zone, says Defense Minister
“We are considering sending a group of combat soldiers to Sahel,” said Greek Defense Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos adding that there has been a relevant request by France. “In case Turkey tries to attack and we ask for help from France, the French troops will be there, they must be there,” …
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Greece receives first Rafale fighter jet at ceremony in France
Greece’s Defense Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos visited France on Wednesday to attend the handover ceremony of the first of the 18 Rafale fighter jets that will join the Greek Air Force. Panagiotopoulos is accompanied by the Chief of the Defense General Staff General Konstantinos Floros and the Chief of the Defence …
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Greece plans to purchase a total of 40 fighter jets, says Defense Minister
Greece plans to purchase a total of 40 fighter jets, including the 18 recently agreed Rafale from France, Defense Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos said late Tuesday. Speaking at the prime time news program of Alpha TV Panagiotopoulos said that the Greek national defense upgrade plan “is very ambitious and extends into …
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Defense Minister congratulates commander of frigate Limnos after collision with Kemal Reis
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 …
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Turkish fighter jets harass helicopter with Greek MoD onboard
Two Turkish fighter planes harassed the helicopter carrying Defense Minister, Nikoss Panagiotopoulos, and the Chief of General Staff, General Konstantinos Floros, on Sunday morning. Greece’s top defense political and military leadership was visiting the islands of Oinousses, Agathonissi and Farmakonissi in the eastern Aegean Sea. The incident took place after …
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Migration: Greece calls on NATO allies to strengthen presence in Aegean
Greek Defense Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos called for the strengthening of NATO ‘s presence in the Aegean Sea in order to halt the migration influx from Turkey. Speaking at the two-day meeting of NATO Defense Ministers in Brussels, Panagiotopoulos called on all allies, to the best of their abilities, to contribute …
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Greece’s Defense Minister warns Turkey of “military involvement”
Defense Minister, Nikos Panagiotopoulos has warned Turkey that Greece is examining all possible scenarios to meet with its neighbor’s provocations and these included also “military involvement.” “If we need to respond, if we think the red lines have been crosses that means we are examining all scenarios, even that of …
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Turkey’s vessels south of Crete? “We’ll consider all scenarios,” warns Greek MoD
“If Turkey violates our sovereignty, we will consider all scenarios”, Greek Defense Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos said on Friday. “We are not warmongers but we will react if deemed necessary,” he added. The threats come just hours after President Recep Erdogan said that Turkey will grant licenses for hydrocarbon exploration and …
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Greece to acquire 24 F-35 at a cost of $3billion, Defense Minister reveals
Defense Minister, Nikos Panagiotopoulos, revealed Greece’s armament plans following the official visit of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to the White House. Greece plans to acquire 24 F-35 aircraft at a total cost of 3 billion USD including the infrastructure, proceed with the upgrade of 82 F-16 and possible purchase war …
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Defense Minister under fire for saying Armed Forces also in charge of “internal security”
Defense Minister, Nikos Panagiotopoulos, was forced to clarify the role of the Greek Armed Forces in the national security of the country. He came under the fire of opposition for having said during a debate in Parliament that “the Armed Forces were in charge for the external and the internal …
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We will ‘seal’ Evros river for refugees,” says Greek Defense Minister
“We will seal the Evros river for refugees and will step up measures in the Aegean Sea,” Greek Defense Minister, Nikos Panagiotopoulos, said on Monday. Stressing that it is not thousands who cross the border from Turkey in North-East Greece but much less, he added “no one will soon pass …
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“Hot incident with Turkey unlikely at this time,” says Defense Minister
A “hot incident with Turkey is unlikely at this time,” Greek Defense Minister Evangelos Apostolakis said on Monday evening. In an interview with private ANT1 TV, Apostolakis said that there is always the possibility that something happens with Greece’s neighboring country. “My point is, however, that it is not possible …
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Ex Defense Minister Papantoniou remanded in custody for bribes in frigates contract
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 …
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