The message that the Hellenic Armed Forces are ready to intervene immediately at any time was sent by Dimitrios Houpis, Chief of the General Staff of National Defence. Speaking at the 10th Delphi Economic Forum held in Delphi on April 9-12, Mr. Houpis stressed that Turkey remains a threat to our country.

He noted that Turkey is trying every day with a revisionist tactic to bring various issues into the discussion, but for us the issue is only the continental shelf and the EEZ. “The armed forces are ready for anything and under no circumstances should the Greek citizen feel the slightest bit insecure about the psychological, I would say, to a very large extent, statements,” he said.

As the Chief of the General Staff of the National Defense Staff said during the discussion moderated by Kostas Sarikas, a journalist on Alpha TV, these statements from the Turkish side have to a very large extent our tolerance, but in no way will they have our participation. “We are determined without any ifs and buts, in the five minutes to respond if and wherever necessary,” he pointed out.

Asked about geopolitical instability, he stressed that all arcs have a geopolitical navel which is the Mediterranean, which is essentially the same as the area of geopolitical interest of our country. According to Mr. Houpis, strength is the only effective way to ensure deterrence against threats with hybrid characteristics as well.

“A Chief never sleeps soundly,” Houpis commented, saying that the major gaps in operational planning created during the financial crisis have been largely filled, with planning at a much better level. He explained that lessons learned from recent wars have brought some modifications in the force structure modification aspect, which have been very much incorporated in the new arms program. He stressed that for the first time there is 12-year planning, with an emphasis on the use of technological developments, such as drones, which now play a catalytic role. “But technology is advancing in parallel with anti-technology,” he stressed.

Summarizing the new arms program, the Chief of the National Defense Staff stressed that it stems from problems, assumptions and lessons learned and develops along five parameters. The increase in the availability of existing systems and their operational utilization, the acquisition of new units for the Navy and the Air Force, the implementation of the Achilles Shield, so that the geopolitical space of the archipelago and the Eastern Mediterranean can truly become a shield and a spearhead for attacks, the liberation of the air force and navy in areas of geopolitical interest without devaluing their action and the exploitation of the great territorial advantages that the land sections give to our islands.

Regarding why young people should choose to go to a military school, Mr. Houpis noted that they should know that it is a vocation and that they are guaranteed a decent living in order to be committed to the cause of the Armed Forces. He stressed that an officer can have a dual role both as an officer and as a scientist in order to defend the homeland, which is the greatest stake for all those who serve in the Armed Forces.