ATHENS, Greece (AP) – Greece signed a contract to purchase anti-ship missiles from France on Monday, seeking to strengthen its defenses with a procurement programme aimed at dealing with tensions primarily with neighboring Turkey.
Greek Defense Minister Nicos Dendias has signed a 16-man exoset missile agreement with Frenchman Sebastian Lecorne, who visited Athens for a day. The two did not disclose the costs of the transaction.
It is the latest in a series of purchases of military equipment from France, with Greece already buying 20 Lafale fighters and three Verara-class frigates. Dendias added that there is debate over the addition of a fourth frigate, adding that France is offering NH-90 military helicopters to Greece, and that both countries are also helping with innovation in the defense sector.
NATO allies Greece and Turkey have had long-standing conflicts over the boundaries of the Aegean and the eastern Mediterranean, but have approached war several times in recent decades.
“Greece doesn’t threaten, but it’s under threat,” Dendias said in a joint press statement with Lecornes. The two ministers did not ask questions.
After their meeting, Recornes and Dendias visited the French frigate Alsace. It is currently docked at the main port of Piraeus, Greece. Recorne also met with Greek Prime Minister Kiliakos Mitotakis.
Greece and France signed a contract for defense and security cooperation in 2021. This includes mutual defense clauses where each comes to help the other in the event of an attack.
Athens says it will spend 25 billion euros ($27 billion) over the next decade to adapt its military to evolving high-tech warfare technology.
Speaking to Parliament earlier this month, Dendias said Greece is planning to move from traditional defense systems to a high-tech network strategy centered on mobile, artificial intelligence-powered missile systems, drone technology and advanced command units, with plans to reduce its dependence on traditional fleets.
Greece’s Modernization Drive – launched after years of defence cuts during the 2010-2018 financial crisis – already includes all branches of the military and focuses on cooperation with France, Israel and the United States.
