Greece Embarks on €25bn Multi-Year Rearmament Program – In a ground-breaking move, Greece announced a significant 25-billion-euro ($27bn) multi-year plan aimed at bolstering its defense capabilities. This decision comes as the country takes advantage of relaxed European Union spending rules for defense, marking a pivotal shift in its military preparedness. Set against a backdrop of escalating global tensions and regional uncertainties, this initiative reflects Athens’ commitment to renewing and strengthening its armed forces.
A central component of this ambitious program is the “Shield of Achilles,” a comprehensive defense system outlined by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Describing its multi-layered architecture in parliamentary remarks, Mitsotakis emphasized its scope and complexity, detailing its fivefold protective mechanism designed to defend against a wide range of threats, including anti-missile, anti-ballistic, anti-aircraft, anti-ship, anti-submarine, and anti-drone capabilities. This endeavor represents Greece’s first comprehensive, multi-year rearmament strategy, seamlessly integrated into the broader “Agenda 2030” for overhauling its military infrastructure.
Mitsotakis underscored the transformative nature of this initiative, declaring it the “most drastic transformation in the history of the country’s armed forces.” In acknowledging the rapidly evolving global landscape, he pointed out that Greece faces a new kind of warfare, distinct from the traditional conflicts its military was geared to confront. This reality underscores the necessity of the ambitious rearmament plan, aligning with the country’s longstanding role as a significant defense spender, largely fueled by its strained relationship with Turkiye. This year, Greece is set to allocate 3 percent of its GDP towards defense, surpassing the European average of 1.9 percent as highlighted by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
The broader European context has also seen a marked shift, with the EU recent decision to bolster defense spending, allocating up to 650 billion euros ($705bn) in additional defense funds. Complementing this, the EU has provided member states with 150 billion euros ($163bn) in low-interest loans to enhance European defense industries. Greece, alongside Poland, has been at the forefront of advocacy for such fiscal relaxations, with Prime Minister Mitsotakis pushing for the establishment of a European fund aimed at fostering shared defense capabilities, envisaged as a European anti-missile shield to be funded through grants rather than loans.
Greece’s journey towards bolstering its defense capabilities is deeply intertwined with its pursuit of European strategic autonomy. The financial strain following the 2008 global financial crisis, which saw Greece’s defense budget halved, has been a catalyst for a more European-centric approach to military procurement. In a strategic divergence from its traditional reliance on US-made arms, Greece has increasingly oriented towards European military systems, advocating for and integrating into the cause of European strategic autonomy championed by France. This strategic pivot is evidenced by its acquisition of French Rafale fighter-bombers and Belharra frigates, emblematic of a broader commitment to enhancing its defense capabilities while fostering European military integration.
While continuing to value its strategic alliance with the US, Greece is delicately balancing its defense priorities between American and European interests. This dual approach is reflective of its geographic and geopolitical significance to both entities, ensuring that Greece’s defense posture aligns with its strategic goals and fostering a robust military framework poised to address contemporary threats and ensure regional stability. This multifaceted strategy is not without its challenges, but it underscores Greece’s determination to assert its military independence and contribute to a concerted European defense initiative.
A central component of this ambitious program is the “Shield of Achilles,” a comprehensive defense system outlined by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Describing its multi-layered architecture in parliamentary remarks, Mitsotakis emphasized its scope and complexity, detailing its fivefold protective mechanism designed to defend against a wide range of threats, including anti-missile, anti-ballistic, anti-aircraft, anti-ship, anti-submarine, and anti-drone capabilities. This endeavor represents Greece’s first comprehensive, multi-year rearmament strategy, seamlessly integrated into the broader “Agenda 2030” for overhauling its military infrastructure.
Mitsotakis underscored the transformative nature of this initiative, declaring it the “most drastic transformation in the history of the country’s armed forces.” In acknowledging the rapidly evolving global landscape, he pointed out that Greece faces a new kind of warfare, distinct from the traditional conflicts its military was geared to confront. This reality underscores the necessity of the ambitious rearmament plan, aligning with the country’s longstanding role as a significant defense spender, largely fueled by its strained relationship with Turkiye. This year, Greece is set to allocate 3 percent of its GDP towards defense, surpassing the European average of 1.9 percent as highlighted by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
The broader European context has also seen a marked shift, with the EU recent decision to bolster defense spending, allocating up to 650 billion euros ($705bn) in additional defense funds. Complementing this, the EU has provided member states with 150 billion euros ($163bn) in low-interest loans to enhance European defense industries. Greece, alongside Poland, has been at the forefront of advocacy for such fiscal relaxations, with Prime Minister Mitsotakis pushing for the establishment of a European fund aimed at fostering shared defense capabilities, envisaged as a European anti-missile shield to be funded through grants rather than loans.
Greece’s journey towards bolstering its defense capabilities is deeply intertwined with its pursuit of European strategic autonomy. The financial strain following the 2008 global financial crisis, which saw Greece’s defense budget halved, has been a catalyst for a more European-centric approach to military procurement. In a strategic divergence from its traditional reliance on US-made arms, Greece has increasingly oriented towards European military systems, advocating for and integrating into the cause of European strategic autonomy championed by France. This strategic pivot is evidenced by its acquisition of French Rafale fighter-bombers and Belharra frigates, emblematic of a broader commitment to enhancing its defense capabilities while fostering European military integration.
While continuing to value its strategic alliance with the US, Greece is delicately balancing its defense priorities between American and European interests. This dual approach is reflective of its geographic and geopolitical significance to both entities, ensuring that Greece’s defense posture aligns with its strategic goals and fostering a robust military framework poised to address contemporary threats and ensure regional stability. This multifaceted strategy is not without its challenges, but it underscores Greece’s determination to assert its military independence and contribute to a concerted European defense initiative.
