Greece’s Minister of National Defence, Nikos Dendias, said the Armed Forces must operate as a unified system for collecting, processing and making operational use of information, with sensors, systems and responses directly connected, as he addressed modern hybrid threats during his opening remarks at the Cyber Greece 2026 conference.

Mr Dendias stressed that information was becoming a strategic asset and cyberspace an independent domain of operations, alongside land, air, sea and space. For this reason, he said, the “Achilles’ Shield” had five distinct layers. He also outlined the infrastructure being developed under the “Agenda 2030” initiative.

The new structure of the Armed Forces includes the Joint Corps of Information Technology, Unit 1864 and infrastructure such as the facilities of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff’s Directorate of Information Technology and Cyberspace.

Nikos Dendias’s opening address

“The title of today’s session — ‘National security, critical infrastructure in the era of hybrid threats’ — describes a reality we are already experiencing. The traditional distinction between peace and war, and between the civilian and military spheres, has now become blurred.

Hybrid threats operate in this ‘grey’ zone in between, often without a clear origin and without triggering a conventional military response. They target energy networks, communications networks, the banking system, hospitals, ports and water supplies. At the same time, disinformation undermines citizens’ trust in institutions. Artificial intelligence intensifies these threats by reducing the time and cost required to carry out attacks and increasing their potential effectiveness.

Consequently, a cyberattack on critical infrastructure is a matter of national security. The world has changed. The Armed Forces must therefore change as well.

‘Agenda 2030’ is precisely the roadmap for this transformation. Our aim is for the Armed Forces to operate as a unified system for collecting, processing and making operational use of information, with sensors, systems and responses directly connected. Information thus becomes a strategic asset, while cyberspace constitutes an independent domain of operations. It is combined with land, air, sea and space. For the same reason, the ‘Achilles’ Shield’ has five distinct layers.

This transformation of the Armed Forces is being implemented through specific institutional and operational changes.

First, through the Joint Corps of Information Technology, which was established under Law 5110/2024. Initially, personnel were assigned to the Corps through transfers, but since 2025 the first officers of the Corps have been training at the Military Academy for Corps Officers.

Second, through Unit 1864, which serves as the operational arm of the Armed Forces in cyberspace.

Third, through the creation of a unified network for exploiting and processing information. As I said, we are combining the operations of Unit 1864 with the Electronic Intelligence Unit ‘1821’, the Space Applications Unit ‘1912’ and the Human Intelligence Collection Unit ‘1947’. These four units form, as I have said, a unified network for collecting, processing and exploiting information.

Finally, through the infrastructure we are creating. On 22 June, in the presence of the country’s Prime Minister, we inaugurated the new facilities of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff’s Directorate of Information Technology and Cyberspace at Papagos Camp, which houses the Ministry of National Defence. The facility includes a data centre, operations rooms and digital research laboratories, built to meet today’s demanding international standards.

The mission of all these structures is not limited to protecting our country’s Armed Forces. It also aims to help strengthen the protection of the wider public sector and Greek society as a whole.

Co-ordinated action with all the relevant bodies is therefore required. We need a common operating picture, a rapid response to threats, joint exercises and shared procedures for crisis management. Public- and private-sector infrastructure operators must participate as partners in this effort, alongside our international allies in NATO and the European Union.

Ladies and gentlemen,

One fundamental truth remains: the decisive factor is still the human being. That is why we are investing in training, co-operation between military academies and universities, research, and links with Greece’s defence and technology industries. We are also seeking to make military service meaningful by providing young people with useful skills and certifications.

Here in the Armed Forces, we are fully aware that we compete with the private sector for the same specialised personnel. We must therefore offer them not only acceptable remuneration but also the opportunity to serve in one of the most demanding operational domains of the modern era.

I will conclude by saying that the transformation of the Armed Forces is not a luxury. It is an essential and non-negotiable condition for the security of our homeland. Of course, we still have a great deal of work to do and a long way to go. That is precisely why the initiative is called ‘Agenda 2030’; otherwise, it would be called ‘Agenda 2026’.

I wish you every success with your proceedings, and thank you very much.”