PROVOCATION: 70 Turkish warships flood Aegean - Warship spotted near shores of Arkadia!

credit defencenet

A huge Turkish armada consisting of well over 70 warships decided to sail around the Aegean on Friday alarming authorities at Greece's National Operations Centre. Authorities who suddenly saw their radars full of red dots from the numerous Turkish warships claim that they massed together a few miles south of Mount Athos and were spotted as far south as the island of Kythira!

A report on defencenet claims that one warship, specifically the F-243 YILDIRIM (MEKO 200 Track I) frigate was even spotted near the coast of Arcadia (!) in the Peloponnese (but was closely monitored by the Hellenic navy).

At the same time a TPC from the Turkish Navy made its presence known a few miles east of the island of Hydra (south of the Attica coast) and another Turkish frigate, the TCG Gokceada (F-494) class C.H Perry, was sailing south southwest of Kythira and northwest of Crete!

     "This has never occurred before with such intensity," a senior officer from the Hellenic Navy told Defencenet adding that "there is an ongoing (naval) exercise (tittled) DENIZKURDU-15 but it is clear that the Turkish Navy is attempting to demonstrate the high availability of its vessels."

The Hellenic navy did not sit idly by and swallow this Turkish show of power. From what has been reported, at least 20 units developed in the Aegean showing our neighbors who the boss of this sea is. With strategic moves and the correct positioning, our boys were able to easily control the movement of this huge Turkish fleet with fewer warships.

The Turkish naval exercises began on May 13th and are due to end on April 18th. According to the article, the purpose of these exercises aims at working with commercial vessels using NATO procedures. From what we learn the exercises are being conducted in the northern Aegean, but as we can all see Turkey once again decided to flex its muscles against its so-called NATO ally Greece and trigger our national sentiment by provokingly spreading its presence throughout the Aegean.

Reference in Greek - defencenet

Simitis says he regrets travesties (scandals) during the time he was PM

Former Prime Minister Costas Simitis, as well as the present leader of the controversial PASOK party, Evangelos Venizelos, on Wednesday began testifying in the appeals case, in relation to the bribes in scandalous armament deals, which was launched by former Minister of National Defense Akis Tsohatzopoulos.

When questioned, Simitis said that he was not aware of anything about the illegal actions of the defendants and what is attributed to them.

     "What I know comes from the newspapers and the courts” e said while he revealed that the KYSEA does not have any investigative powers, nor does it negotiate and discuss offset benefits.

He said that weapons cannot be purchased unless a proposal is made by the Ministry of National Defense.

When asked whether bribery was possible in the KYSEA’s proceedings, the former Greek PM said that "if it happened, it is possible” and explained that the prices of military supplies and armaments are not known and are determined case-by-case.

He also said that he regretted the "these travesties" took place under his premiership when his efforts were to upgrade and modernize the country.

Certainly the most controversial part of his testimony was when he referred to the issue of Imia and said that the reason the helicopter crashed -killing three Greek soldiers- was because it was in the air for too long. Simitis explained how the crisis with Turkey at the time over the Imia Islets highlighted the need to update the Hellenic Armed forces, in order to counter a possible escalation.

It should be reminded that both Simitis and Venizelos were summoned by the courts at the request of Tsochatzopoulos since they were part of the Government Council for National Defense (KYSEA) during the critical period when the defective submarines and TOR M1 purchases were made (the KYSEA is the body with the highest authority on such matters). Other veteran PASOK ministers who were part of the KYSEA at the time include Vaso Papandreou and Yannos Papantoniou, -who are also set to testify on May20th.-

A week later, in the 27th of May, three high-ranking military officers that were also part of the KYSEA – Athanasios Tzoganis, Manolis Paragioudakis and Giorgos Ioannidis – are due to take the stand.

According to the former National Defense Minister, the controversial arms deals involves strategic government choices that were made by this controversial KYSEA and as such it was not possible to make illegal payments for legal and approved supply contacts. The courts argue that the trial aims to investigate the alleged bribery charge and not the legal status of the supply contracts. After all, KYSEA members have previously stated that the council decides on contracts based on the recommendations from the military and political leadership of the Ministry of National Defense.

Here are the transcripts according to TOC magazine:

Simitis: You will be asking why we gave those funds and why the procurements were necessary. You will remember that before I won the confidence vote, we did not have the means to intervene in the Imia case and the helicopter crashed and those kids were killed because it was flying for more hours than it should have. So when I asked the head of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff if commandos could retake the Imia [islets] he said no because they would have to go via Thessaloniki and it would take 6 hours for them to get there. I have written about it in our book. The then leadership of the Armed Forces told me that the difference between us and Turkey was great at the level of engagement and that we should have the ability, in the event of a clash to hold them until the allies could intervene. KYSEA therefore took the decision and we bought 60 F16s, 15 Mirages, 4 submarines, helicopters etc. At a diplomatic level the Helsinki decision was taken.

Judge: Let’s go to the decisions
‘Akis protested when I reduced the defense budget’

Simitis: That [Helsinki] decision was important because if it wanted to intervene as in Imia, Turkey would have to go to the International court beforehand. That meant that we didn’t need so many arms. So I called the governing committee and on the recommendation of the then Finance Minister, I recommended that new arms purchases be suspended and the budget be reduced by 1 trillion drachmas. Mr Tsochatzopoulos disagreed as he believed that improving the country’s defenses was important and [argued] that the arms programs did not exceed 5% of GDP and was only at 4%. I decided to the contrary and there were major protests from Mr Tsochatzopoulos and the press who wrote, “Arms or butter?” New Democracy also agreed with the press. Eventually KYSEA met and reduced the arms programs by 35 billion euros. That is, the arms procurement programs happened under the pressure of the Imia crisis and were reduced when the element of necessary defense improvements was no longer present.

Judge: Yes but that didn’t concern the previous contracts for the submarines and TOR M1s.

Simitis: Those were necessary due to Imia and were right to be purchased, so the assertion that they were not needed is false.

Judge: Does KYSEA (the Government Council of Foreign Affairs and Defense) have an advisory role?

Simitis: No. It has an executive role. It didn’t decide over everything. The law governing KYSEA says that it makes political decisions but not about the purchases. For example it would answer the political question: do we have the ability to purchase [arms] from France or the USA? That’s what it decides.

Simitis: KYSEA would receive the decisions of the committees, of the defense minister etc. KYSEA cannot purchase something that has not been recommended by the ministry. It either accepts what is said by the ministry or not. But it did not and cannot have an opinion on technical details, only general principles. For example the prime ministerial airplane was chosen between the Falcon which could go to China and the Embraer which was enough for Brussels which is what concerned us.

The KYSEA had a strategic role. Just think that in 8 years it met 44 times – i.e. relatively few, while the cabinet met 204 times.

Judge: Did you not audit the files? Could the minister change the supplier of the weapons?

Simitis: No but he could bring the case back to KYSEA and say that ‘I think this system is more useful’.

Could the Minister have been bribed?

Judge: Could the minister have been bribed?

Simitis: Since it happened, could it have happened?

Pagoropoulos (Tsochatzopoulos’s lawyer): That hasn’t been proven, that is what we are looking at

Simitis: It is worth asking, given there was so much background work, how [the bribery] could ultimately happen. But here you are not coming to buy an Opel car. It is auditable only by the Defense Committees. But here it appears (I won’t say that it has been proven and annoy the counsel), that there were payments at three levels: deputy director, general secretary and minister at the highest level, so given that they had colluded anything is possible.

Pagoropoulos: That hasn’t been established sir, that is what we are examining

Simitis: I learnt that two of the accused had confessed.

Judge: Don’t take anything as a given

Simitis: Indeed. Was it accepted that there were illegal payments? In 2001, 2, 3? No it was not accepted. It became accepted much later after trials abroad of companies and their employees.

Judge: We are looking to determine if that is true.

Simitis: It is true about the foreign trials.

Judge: How could there have been bribes when all of this was overseen by the KYSEA (the Government Council of Foreign Affairs and Defense)?

Simitis: I told you it did not examine prices. That is all done by the committees. A file comes with the recommendation of the Head of Arms and of course the ministers. So there is room for bribery before and afterwards.

Judge: Do you know if Mr Tsochatzopoulos was bribed?

Simitis: I don’t know, I told you, I don’t know anything…

Judge: Whichever witness is tired may sit.

Simitis: I am not tired
Akis’s recommendations were decisive

Prosecutor: Were Tsochatzopoulos’s recommendations of major importance?

Simitis: Of course, he was the Defense Minister

Prosecutor: Did his recommendations [carry more weight]?

Simitis: The weight of the recommendation depends on the reputation of the individual. KYSEA met 44 times. Long discussions were had about the submarines and repeatedly. The German submarines were decided on following the recommendation of the head of the navy. There was no one advising ‘these are faulty’ don’t buy them. I recall that for both issues we met more than once.
‘I trusted Akis’

(The former PM recalled that at the height of his power Akis Tsochatzopoulos was one of the most influential officials in PASOK and on the political scene in general, noting that he had even served as acting prime minister. As such he was trusted by Simitis.)

Simitis: I had faith in the system of the Defense Ministry. In any case the Defense Minister wasn’t just anyone, he had served as acting prime minister when Andreas Papandreou was ill. From ’76 he was PASOK’s secretary and for 20 plus years the number two person of PASOK.

TOR missiles and submarines

Simitis: For the TOR M: :With the TOM – M1 the only issue that was raised was their functionality, if they were compatible with other weapons as the Greek army did not purchase Russian weapons but it was decided that we should by Russian weapons for political reasons. The TORs were purchased for the army. If the recommendation was that the weapon wasn’t a good one, we wouldn’t have bought it. There were some weapons the Soviets had which others did not have.:

On the Submarines
“It is now 2015 and you can’t expect from me to remember the discussion we had in 1999 and 2001 in relation to the submarines or whatever other weapon system. The only goal of the government was for there to be co-production as the Saramanga shipyards were not operating and were making losses. KYSEA decided that it would be beneficial for there to be co-production.”

Editor's Note: Simitis of course forgets that during that period his rival, former leader of the New Democracy party Costas Karamanlis, continually slammed him for the corruption that was occurring during his time of rule, but all Simitis did -at the time- was challenge Karamanlis to take these cases to court. Karamanlis did, and almost 15 years later, the Greek court system is still battling to uncover the truth in these cases. Why? Think about it. The PASOK system, which some describe as being better than that of the Cosa Nostra,  involved people from all walks of life in Greece. That is why the corruption continued for decades because it involved the neighbourhood baker, up to officials in the government. In simple terms, when you suddenly go from rags to riches like most people did who supported this party oer the past 30 years, it is very difficult to break that line of corruption. Karamanlis tried during his rule, but was overrun by all those who once hailed Costas Simitis. Sadly the methods that were used by this group which is still alive and kicking (media, finances, large corporations) is again being repeated by the SYRIZA party (or the old PASOK) which is presently appointing its members to high-ranking posts across the public sector. HellasFrappe highly doubts that we will ever have the pleasure of seeing authorities drag these characters off behind bars because the mechanism that supports this type of corruption would collapse.

Greek Defense Analyst - Greece Might Allow Russia to Use its Military Bases

In an interview for Russia's RIA Novosti, Greek defense analyst Ilias Iliopoulos noted that in the interests of closer military-technical cooperation with Russia, Greece could allow the country to use of its military bases, and that this possibility may well be discussed during the Greek Defense Minister's visit to Moscow later this week.

Greek Defense Minister Panos Kammenos is set to arrive in Moscow for a two day visit starting Wednesday. The visit will include a meeting with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. Russian experts believe that Kammenos's meeting with his Russian counterpart might include the provision of spare parts for Russian weapons systems, including the S-300 air defense system, Kornet anti-tank missiles, and Zubr-class hovercraft. Last December, the Greek Defense Ministry signed contracts with Russia on the purchase of spare parts for the Top-M1 and Osa-AKM mobile air defense systems.

Iliopoulos, a lecturer at Greece's National Defense School, welcomes Kammenos's visit, noting that in a time of growing tensions between Russia and the West, "contacts, visits, and communication between members of the European Union and NATO with Russia can help to reduce tensions."

The analyst recalls that the event, which "has great political and symbolic significance," comes on the heels of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' "historic" visit to Moscow last week.

     "The Tsipras visit held a great political importance. As for defense matters and Kammenos's visit, I believe that Greece must do everything it can to move closer to Russia on issues of defense, defense policy, technology, cooperation and defense diplomacy. Greece, as you know, is the only NATO country to which several advanced Russian defense systems were exported several years ago. The country's air defense is very largely based on Russian systems."

Iliopoulos believes that Kammenos may attempt to reach an agreement with Russia on the technical maintenance and modernization of the Russian weapons systems Greece possesses. The analyst notes that "this must be done urgently. These systems presently have serious issues, and not because of [any error from] the Russian side, but because the previous government simply used them and, under Western pressure, underestimated the importance of maintenance and modernization."

The defense expert also believes that while Greece's options are presently limited by the economic crisis, the country should do everything it can to avoid "closing this window [on defense cooperation with Russia] for good. On the contrary, the Greek side must bear in mind that Russian defense systems are Greece's best and most reliable option. And not only technically, but politically as well."

Regarding Russia's possible use of Greek military bases, Iliopoulos is optimistic.

     "And why not? 25 years have passed since the fall of communism. We must discuss seriously, rationally, and realistically the issue of Greece providing Russia with an opportunity to use Greek ground, sea and air bases, on the Aegean Sea and in the Dodecanese Islands, as well as the Ionian Sea and Corfu, the seven islands liberated by Admiral Fyodor Ushakov [during the Second World War]."

The expert notes that such an agreement would not break any of Greece's agreements with NATO, or any other international treaties.

     "No international statute prohibits the cooperation of two countries."

In fact, Iliopoulos notes, Russian-Greek defense cooperation would assist in the maintenance of global stability, including the fight against terrorism and Islamic extremism in Syria and elsewhere in the Middle East.

     "I do not think that anyone in the West would have a problem with this," the expert notes.

Ilias Iliopoulos is a lecturer at Greece's National Defense School, the country's highest defense educational institution, and a former analyst at the Greek Ministry of Defense. He is also the former Chair of the Political and Strategic Studies Department at the Baltic Defense College in Tartu, Estonia.

Read more: sputniknews.com

Kammenos: We will terminate policies that devastated Greece (VIDEOS)

In a live interview to reporter Nikos Hatzinikolaou on the enikos show which is aired late on Monday night on STAR tv, Defence Minister Panos Kammenos "told all" about the ongoing negotiations with Greece's partners, the investigation committee for the memorandum, the Greek debt and Germany's stance.

According to Kammenos, Greece's sovereignty, its mineral wealth, homes and businesses of Greek citizens will not be mortgaged, but he did not say "no" to an "honorable compromise" with Greece's creditors adding that their failure to meet the agreements deprives the compromise of such features. Greece's Minister of Defence kept on noting that Greece's lenders "do not want an agreement."

He noted  if there are any dilemmas that will question the will of the Greek people, then these dilemmas will be answered "through elections or a referendum."

Asked about the SYRIZA government's plan in case of a rupture, Kammenos pointed out that Greece does not want a Grexit and stressed that the coalition SYRIZA-ANEL government will do everything in their power to defend the sovereignty of the Greek people.

Turning to payments, Kammenos reassured the Greek reporter that "the IMF will be paid", on time and said that Greece has received no funds for the past eight months, but has been able to pay its tranches to its creditors on time while at the same operate the country. He also said that the government has not agreed and/or signed anything binding for the country.

He said that some of the red lines of his party concern further cuts in pensions and wages, mass layoffs and even the privatizations of productive units, such as (DEH - the Greek Power company, the port of Piraeus OLP, and the site of the former Hellinikon airport). When asked, he also ruled out a proposed VAT increase on the islands.

Instead, Kammenos lashed out at the Berlin government claiming that it "Germany rules Europe."

Asked on the joint exploitation of the mineral wealth of the Aegean with the US, he said he spoke of "internationally recognized rates of joint exploitation" and added that the declaration of the EEZ and the joint exploitation of the mineral wealth are associated with the strategic choices that the country will make. He said that the government would reach agreements with anyone it can, apart from the lenders and cited as an example countries such as the United States, Russia, China, India and Middle East countries.

Asked about the decision of the Government Council of Foreign Affairs and Defence (KYSEA) to modernize five 'P-3 Orion' maritime patrol air crafts for 500 million dollars as part of an interstate agreement with the US government, Kammenos revealed that their upgrading program was activated by a KYSEA decision in 2012, or from the previous conservative government of Antonis Samaras.

Reports claim that the aircraft had been acquired for free from the US (in 1991-1992); they are now 25-years-old and their modernization will extend their life span for another 15,000 hours. The modernization of these planes is to be carried out by Lockheed Martin in the Greek Aerospace Industry (EAB) as well as other Greek companies and/or subcontractors. This outsourcing ensures jobs over a seven-year period.

The air crafts were flying without any problems until 2009 and were withdrawn by a decision of the Defence minister at the time (Meimarakis) because they were considered too old. If they were immediately modernized it would not have cost as much (of course there was no discussion about purchasing new air crafts to replace them on account of the economic crisis.)

Their modernization is considered necessary as their reconstruction cost provides work for hundreds of workers and best of all, there is border control.

References: enikos live, ANA-MPA

Ex-head of BNP Paribas To Cooperate With Authorities on Armaments and Siemens Scandals

After being recently arrested in Abu Dhabi, the former executive of BNP Paribas and Dresdner Banker Jean-Claude Oswald - a key figure in the armaments and Siemens scandals -, said that he was willing to cooperate with Greek authorities in their ongoing investigations. Swiss authorities may have in the past refused to extradite the banker to Greece, but Greek authorities luckily tracked him down in a transit area in Abu Dhabi, made the arrest and then he was secretly transferred to Greece.

The banker is expected to testify on his involvement in two major scandals, one of which involves shady defence contract deals and the other Siemens. He faces charges of money laundering, bribery and tax evasion. According to one report from To Vima, Oswald appears to have handled about 1.7 million euros that was given out as bribes to Greek officials. A total of 34 are being charged in the case.

The funds apparently came from businessman Panos Efstathiou and were related to the procurement of ASRAD antiaircraft systems by German firm STN Atlas. The BNP Banker is now expected to testify in court as a witness. On Wednesday Oswald is going to testify on the commissions from the WEGMAN firm as well as for illegal payments that were made to the former armaments director Antonis Kantas.

The report in To Vima claims that the money appears to have been laundered via accounts held by Prodromos Mavridis at the German Dresdner Bank in Switzerland, before being transferred to other accounts in Swiss-based banks. Should Oswald refuse to cooperate with Greek officials, then he will likely remain in custody until the Siemens scandal trial begins in September.

From what we learn, Oswald alledgedly laundered funds for politicians, businessmen and judicial officials. Amongst his clients was former alternate director of armaments Antonis Kantas, whose testimonies exposed the extent of corruption.

It should be noted that in 2006 the banker testified in Switzerland that when he visited Greece, he would meet in cafes, where he would receive suitcases full of money. He would then transfer money via the French BNP Paribas bank, where he worked at the time.

Reference: To Vima

To read more about this case, and find out who Kantas is please follow the links below:

SPECIAL REPORT - Kantas EXPOSES Massive German-Greek Web of Corruption In Defence Contracts
http://hellasfrappe.blogspot.gr/2013/12/special-report-kantas-exposes-massive.html

ARMS SCANDAL: Did Kantas Implicate Former PM Mitsotakis?
http://hellasfrappe.blogspot.gr/2014/02/arms-scandal-was-former-pm-mitsotakis.html

Vicky Stamati says she will “reveal all” on bribes and procurement scandal
http://hellasfrappe.blogspot.gr/2015/04/vicky-stamati-says-she-will-reveal-all.html

How Paying Double For German Subs Helped To Sink Greece
http://hellasfrappe.blogspot.com/2012/03/how-paying-double-for-german-subs.html

EXPOSED - Classified Documents About Bribery From German Arms Manufacturers To Greek Politicians
http://hellasfrappe.blogspot.com/2012/07/exposed-classified-documents-about.html

An Introduction And Analysis Of The Siemens and Ferrostaal Scandals
http://hellasfrappe.blogspot.com/2012/06/introduction-and-analysis-of-siemens.html

More Arrested Over Bribery & Kickbacks Claims In Arms Deals
http://hellasfrappe.blogspot.com/2014/01/more-arrested-over-bribery-kickbacks.html

Russian Arms Exporter Denies Links to Greek Arms Bribe Scandal
http://hellasfrappe.blogspot.com/2014/01/russian-arms-exporter-denies-links-to.html

SPECIAL REPORT - Kantas EXPOSES Massive German-Greek Web of Corruption In Defence Contracts
http://hellasfrappe.blogspot.com/2013/12/special-report-kantas-exposes-massive.html

NEW SCANDAL - SYRIZA Targets Venizelos in Defence Systems Contract Fiasco
http://hellasfrappe.blogspot.com/2013/10/new-scandal-syriza-targets-venizelos-in.html

Venizelos, An Overflowing Bank Account and German Arms Bribery
http://hellasfrappe.blogspot.com/2012/03/venizelos-overflowing-bank-account-and.html

How Papakostaninou Gave 500mln to the A.Rossoni Group After The Debut Of The Memorandums
http://hellasfrappe.blogspot.com/2012/12/how-papakostaninou-gave-500mln-to.html

Forgiving Siemens And German Corruption in Greece
http://hellasfrappe.blogspot.com/2012/07/forgiving-siemens-and-german-corruption.html

Russian ship docks in Patras for twinning with Kaliningrad

A Russian sailing ship docked in the port city of Patras (Peloponnese) on a visit leading to a twinning between the Greek port city and that of Kaliningrad, the home of the Russian Baltic fleet. The "Kruzenshtern", which was constructed at Bremerhaven in 1926 for the German commercial fleet, will remain in Patras until April 2nd.

The ship was turned over to the Soviet Union in 1946 in compensation for World War II losses. According to reports, it is 115m long, 14m wide and 7m deep and its crew consists of 60 permanent staff as well as 115 officers in training from the University of Kaliningrad.

Officials signed the twinning agreement at a ceremony held at the Patras Port Authority on Tuesday, before a monument to the Greek-Russian friendship was unveiled. The crew members, on the other, paid a visit to the Greek Orthodox Church of Agios Andreas, where they were warmly welcomed by Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Patras and the supervising priest of the church, father Nikolaos Skiadaressis.

SYRIZA-ANEL organize ‘alternative’ way to celebrate March 25th

The annual March 25 festivities marking Greek Independence Day and the Feast of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary are apparently going to be different this year to what Greek citizens are accustomed to. The coordination of the festivities has been designed by Defence Minister Panos Kammenos and Attica Region’s Radical Left Coalition (SYRIZA) Prefect Rena Dourou. The SYRIZA-ANEL government said that it is planning to offer Greek citizens an "alternative" way to celebrate the events and from what we read it certainly will be a unique event, or at least resemble something of a Balkan feast.

Parallel to the official military parade, the state plans to stage a number of other happenings at Syntagma square including Greek traditional songs and dances. Also, there will be no special stand for VIPs at the parade on Wednesday and all dignitaries will be forced to stand with the crowd.

The state is also going to distribute thousands of blue and white flags to onlookers to wave during the march and at the end of the event, the 90-member military band (s) will stay behind and entertain everyone as dance troops from around the country perform.

Leftist groups against military parades were quick to compare the events to those held during the time of Greece’s military junta, but SYRIZA quickly responded that the junta only danced “tsamika” (a traditional folk dance).

The leader of the (media-backed) Potami party, Stavros Thoeodrakis, together with several PASOK groups quickly slammed SYRIZA for allowing ANEL to organize the event, so Panos Kammenos in return advised Theodorakis not to attend the event.

(Good one)

PROVOCATION - New Greek-Turkish dogfight over the Aegean

credit Defencenet

According to the National Defence General Staff, six Turkish F-16 fighter jets violated Greek airspace at 11:04 (local time) on Monday between the islands of Lesvos and Chios (just before flying over the Fournon islands), without having submitted a flight plan.

Greek F-16 fighter jets immediately took off from the island of Skyros and put missile firing parameters -long-range AIM-120 (BVR)- against the Turkish fighters. (On account of the low availability of Mirage 2000-5 and F-4E Peace Icarus, the F-16 took off from Skyros.)

When the Turkish fighters realized that the Greek planes had placed a trapped signal on them they immediately split into formations of four and two. At 11:27 the four fighter jets flew to 25,000 feet and the other two planes flew at 12,000 feet (or just a bit before the Greek airplanes approached them carrying air-to-air short range missiles). It was a classic move by Turkey to provide assistance to both its fighters from the Greek jets.

At 11:30 and after being pursued by Greek fighter jets, the Turkish planes then left Greek airspace flying over south of the island of Samos after being detected by Greek F-16 fighter jets.

Monday's incident is just one of many violations from Turkish jets over the past few days. It has become a daily habit to read about Turkish violations and continuous dogfights over the Aegean.

For instance, last Thursday and Friday a whopping 103 violations were recorded but luckily each incident was quickly intercepted by Greek fighter planes. Quite interestingly, last week's incidences were taken to heart from Ankara to the point that the Turkish General Staff issued a statement speaking of "harassment" on the part of Greece (against its planes) in what it termed "international air ... space", on account of an entrapment radar. Ankara went as far as to complain that Greek fighters harassed Turkish F- 16 five times (for 13 minutes and 50 seconds), with an entrapment radar, and said that all they were doing was merely conducting a training flight in international airspace. They did, however, admit that the Turkish F-16s had also locked the Greek fighters.

Source: Defencenet

Greece to boost military cooperation with Russia

Greece plans to enhance its military, technical and regional security cooperation with Russia, Deputy Defense Minister Kostas Isichos told Russian news website Sputnik in an interview on Tuesday.

The minister said that Athens would benefit from increased technical support and advice on the use of Russian-made arms.

     "Then also enhancing our relationship not only in the strictly military sense, but also in the peace and cooperation we need to have in the Middle East in the Aegean, in the region which is already very volatile and very dangerous around us," Isichos was quoted as saying, mentioning conflicts in Ukraine, in the Middle East and terrorist activities closer to home.

He also claimed that better relations with Russia and other members of the BRICS alliance will help Greece play a bigger role in international affairs. BRICS comprises five of the world's biggest developing economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

     "We do have an important role to play within a multipolar world which must be viewed as a multipolar world of stability and not of instability," the defense official said.

The Russian-Greek Joint Interministerial Committee, which focuses on economic, technological, scientific and industrial cooperation, is expected to convene in 2015.

Source: Sputnik

NEW SCANDAL - Defence Ministry to probe purchase Of NH90 helicopters & submarines

Following a meeting with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, Defense Minister Panos Kammenos said on Tuesday that the armed forces’ internal affairs department discovered evidence of wrongdoing in two military procurement cases and is now planning to send this evidence to the judiciary.

     “We agreed with the prime minister that even though these cases are in the first stages of investigation... they should go immediately to the Greek justice system so they can be added to the case files already under examination,” Kammenos told reporters.

He revealed that the cases involve the purchase of NH90 helicopters in 2003 and the deal to purchase four Type 214 diesel-electric submarines, which date back to 1998.

Greece's Defence Council To Change Top Heads of Air Force & Army

The Government Council for Foreign Affairs and Defence, known as KYSEA, has decided to change the heads of the Greek Air Force and Army, following a meeting which was presided by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras. According to a dispatch from the state news agency the Chief of General Staff of the Greek Air Force, Lieutenant General Evangelos Tournas is now going to be replaced by Lieutenant General Christos Vaitsis, the Chief of the Greek Tactical Air Force (HTAF).

The council also decided to replace the Chief of the Greek Army, Lieutenant General Christos Manolas, with the Commanding General of the First Army, Lieutenant General Vassilios Tellidis.

Hellenic National Defence General Staff (HNDGS) Chief, General Mikhail Kostarakos, is going to remain at his post, as will the Chief of the Hellenic Navy, Vice Admiral Evangelos Apostolakis.

Greece to broaden cooperation with defence companies from UAE

National Defence Minister Panos Kammenos said on Sunday that the government wants to continue and broaden its cooperation between Greek and Emirati defence companies during his visit at the national pavilion and those of Greek state and private companies participating in the International Defence Exhibition & Conference (IDEX-2015) which opened in Abu Dhabi, at the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Kammenos also visited the pavilions of other countries, including the one set up by the host country.

The minister was invited by the Vice-President, Prime Minister and Defence Minister of UAE, as well as Dubai’s constitutional monarch, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and was accompanied by Hellenic National Defence General Staff (HNDGS) Chief, General Mikhail Kostarakos and the Chief of the Hellenic Navy, Vice Admiral Evangelos Apostolakis.

ANA-MPA

Greece to hold military exercises with Cyprus, Israel and Egypt

During an official visit to Cyprus, Greece's Defense Minister Panos Kammenos announced that Greece, Cyprus and Israel would carry out joint military exercises, while Egypt is also expected to participate.

While in Cyprus, Kammenos met with his Cypriot counterpart Christoforos Fokaidis. Speaking to the press he said that the Cypriot dispute remains a matter of “invasion and occupation” for the Greek government, while he stressed that the presence of the Turkish Barbaros research vessel in the area remains a “clear provocation”.

Interestingly, Turkish provocations continued while Kammenos was arriving in Nicosia. Reports claim that a Turkish Navy frigate was instructed to enter the Cypriot EEZ and monitor the ongoing surveys for hydrocarbons.

Asked about whether or not we should expect the revival of a Joint Defense Doctrine, Kammenos said that this issue would be decided in the months to come.

On his part, Fokaidis thanked Greece for showing its support to Cyprus and stated that Greece and Cyprus are the main pillars of stability, security and democracy in the region.

All defendants in armaments bribing scandal found guilty

All the defendants that were on trial in a bribing case for the Russian TOR-M1 anti-missile systems were pronounced guilty by a Greek Felony Court on Wednesday. The five defendants (including former Cypriot Interior Minister Dinos Michailidis, his son Michalis Michailidis, former legal State adviser Anastasios Sofos, along with his wife Maria, and arms dealer Fouad al-Zayat) were found guilty on acts of corruption and money laundering.

As such, Dinos Michailidis received a sentence of 15 years for money laundering, Michalis Michailidis 15 years for money laundering, Anastasios Sofos was sentenced to life for passive bribery as well as 12 years for money laundering, Maria Sofos, on the other, was sentenced for 12 years for money laundering and Fouad al-Zayat was sentenced to life for active bribery as well as 17 years for money laundering.

According to the charge sheet, the actions of the defendants had facilitated payments by a Syrian-born businessman to Akis Tsochatzopoulos. It should be reminded that Tsochatzopoulos is a founding member of the socialist PASOK party and served as defense minister under the Costas Simitis government between 1996-2001.

The court papers said that The payments were apparently linked to a contract agreed by Tsochatzopoulos during his run in office to supply Greece with Russian made anti-aircraft missiles. All four had denied the charges and their lawyers said they would appeal.

It should also be reminded that Tsochatzopoulos was found guilty and jailed in 2013 for tax fraud and taking kickbacks for various arms deals. During the time of his trial details of lavish spending helped make the corruption case a symbol of the injustice felt by many Greeks who have over the past few years seen their pensions and wages cut on account of the economic crisis.

Michaelides, on the other, served as interior minister to two Cypriot governments. He was extradited to Greece in 2013.

(Referenes: kathimerini, Reuters, HellasFrappe, enikos, to Vima)

SYRIΖΑ Το Respect Energy & Defence Contracts Made Between Karamanlis & Putin

The Greek foreign ministry posted a photo of the meeting between Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow on Wednesday where geopolitics, energy and defence were the choice topics for discussion. The meeting in Moscow was initiated by Russia when Lavrov sent a telegram to Kotzias and the invitation came after the new Greek government spoke out against further anti-Russia sanctions. The topics of discussion included energy, Russia's assessment of the situation in Ukraine and possible ways to settle the conflict peacefully, cooperation in defence, transport and finance.

A report on the military news site defencenet claims that the Greek Foreign Minister assured his Russian counterpart that the government will observe all the agreements that were made by the former government under Costas Karamanlis, referring of course to the massive defense and energy deals that were made while the latter was in power between 2004-2009.

Lavrov's response was immediate: "We have kept our word, we welcome the government's decision to reactivate the agreements. We will prepare new agreements." At the same time, Lavrov said that Russia would examine a request for economic aid by Greece, if such a request was made.

Speaking at a joint news conference later on, Lavrov said Russia appreciated the "constructive" position of Greece in ties between Moscow and the European Union, which has imposed several waves of sanctions on Russia over Ukraine. The Russian FM said that the two ministers agreed that there could only be a political situation to the conflict in eastern Ukraine, which has killed more than 5,000 people.

On his part, Kotzias said he hoped there would be a "significant" agreement at talks in the Belarussian capital Minsk later on Wednesday and mentioned the issue of ethnic Greeks living in eastern Ukraine.

The minister said over 100,000 ethnic Greeks live in eastern Ukraine and he will make it a priority to give them assistance. "We have a special problem with Ukraine. As you know, in Mariupol and other parts of eastern Ukraine there are about 100,000 people of Greek origin and we are trying to do everything possible to help them," Kotzias said.

It should be reiterated that former premier Costas Karamanlis had signed intergovernmental agreements with Russia for the purchase of TDMA BMP-3 which will dramatically upgrade the capabilities of Greece's armed forces they protect personnel with immeasurable firepower.

Speaking about fire-power, Greek philosopher and historian Ilias Iliopoulos told RIA Novosti that Russian arms are more reliable and effective during crises since they cannot be switched off by manufacturers of weapons systems produced in the US and sold overseas. In the article he notes that Greece will only benefit from shunning US weapons in favor of more reliable Russian arms to allow the country to meet its national security needs.

     "What should I think when buying US weapons if they can be switched off during crisis? This is a waste of money," Iliopoulos said.
     "Think about Saddam Hussein, who bought French weapons, including air defense systems and radars. At the critical moment all that electronics was switched off remotely via a satellite," Igor Korotchenko, editor-in-chief of the Russian National Defense magazine, told Sputnik Turkey.
     "Just like French weapons, US arms … can be remotely shut down. This is reality," he emphasized.

Although Greece's new government is mainly focused on finding a way to help the country’s ailing economy to recover, Yannis Mandalidis, editor-in-chief of the Lambrakis Press Group, told Sputnik Turkey that Athens is promoting greater cooperation with Russia.

     "Greece’s new government, especially the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defense, will seek closer ties with Russia. Hence, military cooperation with Moscow will come to the fore in the future," he said.
     "Greece will have an edge over its adversaries since they will not be familiar with Russian weapons," Mandalidis added. 

(Editor's Note: Although HellasFrappe has rallied hard for Karamanlis, and everyone who regularly reads HellasFrappe knows that the editor of the blog is a HUGE fan of this former prime minister, we are somehow not convinced by SYRIZA's sudden love story with Russia. We cannot get the picture of Alexis Tsipras and some of George Papandreou's buddies at the Soros-backed Brookings Institute out of our minds. Certainly we applaud this development, if true, but we are not about to count our chickens before they hatch and recommend that our readers soak up all the information with a grain of salt as well. Why? Our instinct tells us that it is just a show... or dust in the eyes of all of those who are against Russia, meaning the US and the EU, so that Greece can have better ammo at the ongoing negotiations in Brussels. Besides, we believe that diplomacy that secures energy and defence deals is not really publicized on news sites and the social networks... We could be wrong, things are very hazy at the moment, but we will wait and see what happens. Stay tuned Frappers.)

Referenes:
http://sputniknews.com/politics/20150211/1018111141.html
http://www.defencenet.gr/defence/item/%CE%BD%CE%B
http://www.defencenet.gr/defence/item/%CE%AD%CE

Cyprus Decision To Allow Russian Use of Military Bases Angers Brits

Cyprus’ offer to allow Russia the use of air and navy bases on its territory has reportedely triggered a feud with Britain, which is concerned over Russian military activities amid the Ukraine crisis.

The top British envoy to the island made a series of warnings to Nicosia recently regarding the gas crisis in the eastern Mediterranean and the use of military bases by Russia during an interview with Greek daily Kathimerini, sparking reaction from Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades.

In his interview, British High Commissioner to Cyprus, Damian Roberick Todd, said the EU has a common and voted stance against Russia over the recent developments in Ukraine, urging the government to act according to this.

According to a report in the Turkish daily "Hurriyet" Anastasiades reacted to Todd’s remarks, asking the envoy to avoid using “baseless” words.

     “There is an old [defense] agreement, which should be renewed as is. At the same time, some additional services will be provided in the same way as we do with other countries, such as, for example, with France and Germany,” the Cypriot president reportedly said. “Cyprus and Russia have traditionally had good relations, and this is not subject to change.”

Andreas Papandreou Airbase, which was constructed by the southern Cypriot government jointly with Greece, is presumed to be the base at issue.

Both France and Israel have also demanded use of the facility.

However, a draft military agreement approved by the Cypriot cabinet last month included permission for Russian aircraft to land on the base.

The final signature on the agreement is expected be inked during Anastasiades’ Moscow visit at the end of this month.

Britain already has the use of the Aktotiri airbase and the Dhekelia naval base on the island.

Hurriyet

El Pais: Various events caused F-16 crash in Albacete

The Spanish newspaper El Pais this week revealed details about the ongoing investigation into the tragic crash of a Greek F-16F Block 50 fighter jet in Albacete, which resulted in the death of eleven people, including both pilots.

According to the report, the fighter jet’s control system malfunctioned, but it has yet to be determined if this affected the flight control system or the control stick itself.

El Pais says that the Greek jet made a sudden 45-degree right turn towards the hangar, where Italian as well as French jets were getting set to join NATO exercises (with the participation of some 30 jets from 7 countries).

The Greek jet was the fourth plane to take off and managed to climb to about 13 meters (40 feet) before the tragic incident occurred. Both Greek pilots managed to eject themselves from the craft, but due to the steep inclination they crashed. Their bodies were recovered near the hangar a little later on.

Based on the Spanish military investigation commission CITAAM (Comisión de Investigación Técnica de Aeronaves Militares) preliminary report, the Greek jet crashed on the runway, exploded and then it later slid and crashed into the parked Italian and French air crafts.

The Spanish paper clarifies that all necessary security measures and precautions had been taken and as such concludes that the tragic incident was the end result of a series of unfortunate events.

PROVOCATION - Turkish F-16 near Imia while Kammenos Lays Memorial Wreath

According to a report on defecenent, as well as on ProtoThema, Turkish F-16 fighter planes suddenly appeared in the skies on Friday near the islet of Imia as the newly appointed Minister of Defense, Panos Kammenos, was aboard a helicopter to lay a wreath in memory of three Hellenic Navy aviators that were killed during the 1996 Imia crisis when their chopper crashed in the vicinity. The Turkish planes attempted a type of ambush on the helicopter that was carrying the Greek minister but luckily they were immediately challenged by Greek F-16s which had taken off from the 115th unit in Crete!

Reports claim that the Turkish fighter did not violate Greek airspace, but without a doubt it wanted to intimidate the significance of the moment. Also there was no need of a dogfight since the Greek fighters managed to encircle the Ministers helicopter which was now hovered over the islet of Imia. The same reports add that a few more planes took to the skies from both sides but the Turks decided to withdraw their forces after realizing that the Greek fighters had locked on to their movements and had taken their place around the controversial islet.

The NH-90 helicopter that was transporting the Greek defence minister over Imia maneuvered over the islet’s shore to allow the ministry delegation to lay the wreath.

It should be reminded that in 1996 the events that unfolded at this island almost led to a war between Greece and Turkey (read article below for details.) At the time Turkey began to dispute the sovereignty of these Greek islands and spoke of “grey zones” in the Aegean. This is one of the reasons why the US requested that all armed forces and flags be removed from the area.

The minister was accompanied to Imia by the Chief General Armed Forces Vice Admiral Evangelos Apostolakis.

It should be noted that Kammenos was the first Minister to visit the Islets since 1996. His initiative to honor the three pilots who perished at sea at the time should indeed be applauded. (Bravo tou)

Earlier on Friday he also would lay a wreath at the Imia memorial in down town Athens.

The Golden Dawn party has also organized a demonstration at the Imia Memorial in Athens, while various antifascist groups have arranged to gather in Omonia Square.

Imia: Almost Two Decades Later And We Have Not Forgotten

At the end of January in 1996 on the islet of Imia (Ίμια), which is a set of two small uninhabited islets in the Aegean Sea, at the Greek chain of islands known as the Dodecanese, a war nearly broke out between Greece and Turkey. That night, Greek special forces landed on the east islet without being spotted by the nearby Turkish ships. 

On January 31, at 01:40 Turkish special forces landed on the west islet escalating the tensions, and a Greek helicopter took off at 05:30 am from the Greek frigate "Navarino" for reconnaissance. During the mission the helicopter crashed over the islets (some speculating due to Turkish fire) and three Greek officers, namely Commander Christodoulos Karathanasis. Commander Panagiotis Vlahakis and flagship Hector Gialopso died. (These are the three heroic men who died in defence of the blue and white and who the Greek Minister of Defence wanted to commemorate on Friday).

IMAGE - The photo above shows the bullets that were fired on the helicopter from the Turkish side. It is one of the few photos that have not been able to erase the responsibilities of those who rushed to claim that the helicopter fell because the pilot, Karathanasis suffered heart problems.

The Greek Parliament is quickly briefed on the incident, and the acting Prime Minister at the time, Costas Simitis, calls on his cabinet and chairs an extraordinary meeting. Following this, Simitis holds a telephone conversation with his Turkish counterpart, via the mediation of Americans in the framework of avoiding war. At 6:10 am the ministers of defense and foreign affairs, namely, Arsenis and Theodore Pangalos, respectively, announce that an agreement was reached between Athens and Ankara following the diplomatic intervention of US President Bill Clinton and his mediator Richard Holbrooke.  

(The same man who years later was sending cables from Athens to the US about Costas Karamanlis, and the same man who a couple of years ago -and while George Papandreou was in power- accompanied Hillary Clinton to Athens to discuss Greece's natural energy reserves. He is a man who has always lobbied in favor of sharing the Aegean sea (and all its wealth) with Turkey... If you need more information, simply type in his name in our search box and you will be astonished with what will pop up.)

Later on in the day and following a "thank you" to the Americans by Simitis in the Greek parliament (which infuriated MPs from the Right to the Left), the Turkish threat began to die down. That is of course what Simitis' PASOK party believed at the time..., but as we can all see the Greek people never forgot.

Almost two decades later... we have still not forgotten, and we never will. How can a nation forget that its own government sent three innocent souls to be slaughtered at the hands of ruthless men? This tragedy will NEVER BE FORGOTTEN, nor will it EVER BE FORGIVEN.

Background to the tragedy

On December 25, 1995 the Turkish cargo vessel "Figen Akat" ran aground on one of the Imia rocky islets. Although the accident occurred within Greek territorial waters the captain of the "Figen Akat" refused assistance from the competent Greek authorities claiming that he was within Turkish territorial waters. Despite assurances to the contrary, the captain sought assistance from the Turkish authorities. Finally, in agreement with the Turkish company that owned the vessel, the "Figen Akat" was towed to the Turkish port of Gulluk by a Greek tug boat.

On December 29, 1995, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs addressed to the Greek Embassy in Ankara a Note Verbal, asserting, for the first time in more than half a century, that Imia constitutes part of the Turkish territory, registered in the land registry of the Turkish province of Mugla. Greece reacted and on January 10, 1996 it addressed a Note Verbal to the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. By that Note Greece rejected the Turkish claims and underlined that Imia is Greek territory by virtue of cession from Italy, to which it belonged in accordance with the 1932 Italo-Turkish Agreement and the subsequent Proces Verbal.

While legal and diplomatic staffs in both Athens and Ankara started to dig the archives and to develop more elaborate arguments, the incident escalated to a crisis. On January 25, 1996, the Mayor of Kalymnos together with three other Greek citizens raised a Greek flag on the larger of the Imia islets. On January 27, 1996, Turkish journalists from the Turkish daily Hurriyet landed on this same islet, took down the Greek flag that was posted there and raised the Turkish flag. Although the Turkish Government did not officially endorse the action of the Turkish journalists, the Turkish Prime Minister at that time, Ms Tansu Ciller, insisted a few days later: "We can't let a foreign flag fly on Turkish soil. The flag will come down."

On January 28, 1996, a Greek navy detachment replaced the Greek flag. At the same time a major naval build up was developing around the Imia islets and at various times up to 20 vessels were reported in the area. On January 30, 1996, Turkey sent several ships to the region, prompting Greece to send an equal number. A Turkish frigate violated Greek territorial waters targeting a Greek gunboat that was patrolling the area and a Turkish helicopter flew over the Imia islets. The same day the entire Greek fleet left its naval base near Pireus and sailed to the Aegean. The crisis reached its peak in the early morning hours of January 31, 1996 when the Turkish army landed some men on the smaller of the Imia islets. (hri). 

After the Imia incident, and PASOK's Secret Diplomacy Exposed

Following Imia, as revealed in the videos, the Greek government sent a letter to US officials telling them that they would command that all Greek military forces leave from the Dodecanese islands that run along the Turkish coast in the framework of mending Greek-Turkish relations. Luckily for our country, the Greek military presence in the area remained.

No harm in that right? 

Wrong.

In a series of classified documents that were presented by reporter Costas Chardavelas (Video Below) -based on talks between former US President Bill Clinton, the then head of the CIA, the Greek and Turkish governments- and which were declassified a couple of years ago by the US, show that top secret meetings were held by Costas Simitis, the then Minister of Foreign Affairs Theodore Pangalos, the then Minister of Defence Gerasimos Arsenis, the then head of the Armed Forces Mr. Lyberis, etc, with American and Turkish officials.

In one of those documents, it was more or less understood that Theodore Pangalos had agreed and noted (in a document) that it was "illegal" for Greek troops to be stationed in the area known as the Dodecanese islands. We repeat... In an effort to please the West in their outrageous demands, a GREEK MINISTER SAID THAT IT WAS ILLEGAL TO HAVE GREEK TROOPS STATIONED ON A GREEK ISLAND. (The reporter Costas Chardavelas said that this was one condition that was demanded by the American side. Watch full video below for all the details.)

In some nations people would be hung with such statements, but under the PASOK regime and its green corrupt blanket, the story did not even make headlines in the news.

In simple words, the division of the Aegean -or the so-called grey zones- obviously began on the night that the Imia affair unfolded, under the Simitis government.

(And we all know who continued the dirty work thereafter. Correct... George Papandreou)

The media in Greece may have remained silent on the issue of Imia. Only a few daring reporters have actually touched the subject. Some believe that this was done in an effort to manipulate us into thinking that it was a one time incident, or even a misunderstanding, but as we said earlier, almost two decades have passed and the issue has still not been forgotten by the masses.

In fact, now that our leaders have finally admitted that there is oil and natural gas in these areas, one thing is for certain, Imia (and Kastelorizo) will dominate the news again!

This of course will never bring back those three young boys who rushed to the call of duty on that frightful night. These young boys will always be remembered. Their sacrifice is not only hailed by their families... but by all Hellenes. We can never repay them for this act of selflessness. The only thing that we can do, however, (or rather are obligated as a people and compelled to do) is honor them every year, remember their sacrifice and bravery and tell their story.

Signed

Marina Spanos 

References:

• http://strangehellas.blogspot.com/2010/02/blog-post_24.html
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osmium
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imia
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHBi35oaimw
• http://www.antirrisies.gr/node/361

Greek Air Force F-16 Crashes In NATO Exercise In Spain, Fate of Pilot Unknown - BREAKING NEWS

Credit - The Local

A Greek Air Force F-16 apparently crashed during a NATO exercise near the Spanish city of Albacete, press reports said.

Local media reports in France are noting that the plane was flying at low altitude and crashed into an airport hangar shortly after take-off.

The report was confirmed by the Spanish report as well. A Defence Ministry spokesman told the news blog that the plane crash occurred at the Los Llanos air base in Albacete, central Spain.

The report said that there are not any details as of yet on whether or not the parked planes were occupied by other pilots or technicians during the time of the crash, or if the pilot of the crashed F16 managed to eject. Click HERE to read.

The El Pais paper on the other hand reported that there were more than four injured on the ground at the time of the crash, but a report on SKAI Tv in Greece just announced that the number of injured can exceed more than 10 people.

The fate of the pilot is still unknown.

19:00 Local Time - UPDATE - Greece's state owned NERIT just confirmed that there are 2 people dead as a result of the crash, and 10 people injured. The report said that there is fear that this number could rise. (It is highly suspected that the two Greek pilots are dead.)

Hellenic Navy to launch the “Matrozos”, its 2nd type 214 submarine

The Hellenic Navy is finishing up with a series of tests and improvements on the Matrozos, a type 214 submarine, at the Skaramangas Shipyard.

According to the state news agency ANA-MPA the Matrozos is expected to be launched in February and is going to be the second type 214 submarine, after the Pipinos was launched in October 2014.

Meanwhile, the Pipinos successfully completed torpedo exercises in the Saronic Gulf, prior to be included in the Navy’s fleet for service. The Pipinos completed the necessary diving trials earlier in December.

The acquisition and launch of the type 214 submarines has proven to be scandalous, with nearly 15 years of delays and the Greek state having paid about 3 billion euros for four such submarines.