Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias addressed concerns raised after the announcement that, going forward, military service will only be carried out in the Army, and not in the Navy or Air Force. Speaking in Parliament, Dendias revealed data about the composition of the Air Force and Navy and made a pointed remark about the pressure placed on Defense Ministers to avoid sending conscripts to ships:

“Only the Archbishop doesn’t call when a conscript is assigned to a ship,” he said.

Speaking to the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign and Defense Affairs during the discussion of the Ministry of Defense bill on the utilization of Armed Forces’ real estate and the establishment of a management body, Dendias pointed out that even today, conscripts rarely serve in combat units or on ships.

“Think about how many conscripts are on ships — not even 5%. We all know what happens and what a minister — any minister, from any party — goes through if he dares send a conscript to a ship. Only the Archbishop doesn’t call. What does that tell you? Only the War Museums have 300–400% capacity,” he remarked.

He added:

“What’s the reality? You know it. The Navy and the Air Force are fully manned branches, even in peacetime. The Navy is over 85% staffed, the Air Force nearly 90%. For both branches, we have 35,000 reservists. If we need to call them up in wartime, what’s missing? Just 10% staffing to be filled — and we have the 35,000 needed to do it.

On the other hand, we’re losing people permanently from the Army, and the population gap with the neighboring country (Turkey) is tragically against us.”

Dendias acknowledged there are specialties that justify assignments in the Navy or Air Force:

“You say it should be preserved at least symbolically — and it will be. Naval architects, captains, aircraft engineers, pilots — if they exist — will of course go to the Navy or Air Force. We will define certain specialties.
You may see this ideologically — ‘the sailor and the airman’ — but only a few specialties, by exception, will go to those branches. Let’s speak honestly.”

Also attending the committee session were:

• Deputy Defense Minister Thanasis Davakis
• Chief of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff General Dimitrios Choupis
• Chief of the Army Lt. General Georgios Kostidis
• Chief of the Navy Vice Admiral Dimitrios-Eleftherios Kataras
• Chief of the Air Force Air Marshal Dimosthenis Grigoriadis

Regarding the new real estate utilization body, Dendias clarified it will not own or acquire any legal rights over properties, but will only manage assets as assigned, returning revenues to the relevant fund. Ownership remains with the fund unless property is explicitly sold.