Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias said that a process is currently underway that will make Greece’s airspace “impenetrable” in a few years, the ANA-MPA agency reported, quoted by BTA.
Dendias said in an interview with the Parapolitika newspaper published on Saturday that this would be achieved through the Agenda 2030 plan, the biggest reform of the Greek Air Force.
The Greek Defense Minister added that the defense of Greece’s airspace will include deflecting aircraft and drone attacks through two shields that will cover the entire Greek territory – one anti-aircraft and one anti-drone. In this way, according to Dendias, there will be no gaps in Greece’s defense compared to its neighboring countries.
Dendias also gave details about the mission of the Greek frigate “Hydra” (“Hydra”), which sailed at the end of February for the Red Sea to join the EU mission “Aspides” which started in February this year for protecting merchant ships from attacks by Iran-backed Yemeni Houthi rebels.
Greece assumed operational command of the EU mission, whose headquarters are in the city of Larissa, central Greece, and the operation is commanded by Rear Admiral Vassilios Gripparis.
Dendias said that so far within the frigate’s mission, “she has practically carried out dozens of direct protection missions for merchant ships and several surveillance missions, protecting free navigation in the region.”
Regarding relations between Greece and Turkey, Dendias said that “the lull in this area is obviously welcome.” However, the Greek defense minister stressed that “we must not forget that Turkey is placed at a key crossroads in terms of the direction it will choose after the withdrawal of (Turkish President Recep Tayyip) Erdogan from active politics” – something that the Turkish leader himself mentioned.
