Most Greek experts on military and security affairs, including many in uniform, have for years pointed out the need for a radical overhaul of the way the Hellenic Armed Forces are organized.
It is indeed inconceivable for a country to have invested heavily, spending many billions of euros, in defense procurement, purchasing the most advanced weapons systems with an eye to the future, while the human element and the command structure of the force somehow remained stuck in the past.
The concern is felt across the ideological spectrum, and in that sense one hopes that the shortcomings will be addressed with seriousness and on a long-term basis.
The radical reform initiated recently by Defense Minister Nikos Dendias, included among other steps, the merging of military units and some bold cuts; 47 senior military officers, including the commander of the Army, the general inspector of the Army, the commander of the Navy and the commander of the Air Force, were retired.
Setting up a new structure follows a deep review, led by General Dimitris Choupis, chief of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff, that aimed at eliminating an excess of high-ranking officers.
As the defense minister noted, “the Greek military cannot have more senior officers than the US military, which is six times larger.”
We need a more technology-driven force where the emphasis is on having the necessary expertise rather than an unnecessary number of high-ranking officers whose responsibilities often overlap.
The extensive modernization effort includes the rationalization of personnel and military bases, attracting and retaining the best minds in the ranks, promoting innovative technological research and developing a modern domestic defense industry with the many benefits that would bring not only in military terms, but also economic.
The process should continue in a professional manner and with the broadest political support as its aim is none other than the improvement of the nation’s security.