Armed forces chief on getting military restructuring right

Thanks to their new capabilities, the Greek armed forces could respond even more swiftly today to a crisis similar to that of 2020, the head of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff (GEETHA), General Dimitris Houpis, told Kathimerini’s Sunday edition in an exclusive interview.

The capabilities, he said, enhance the natural advantages offered by the geography of the island archipelago, while at the same time providing the ability to deliver a strategic strike.

On the subject of Greece’s deepening defense relationship with Israel, Houpis described it as a mutually beneficial strategic marriage.

The prime minister presented Parliament with the government’s 12-year defense procurement plan on Thursday. What is the philosophy driving the plan?

It is gratifying that, for the first time, a genuinely long-term program is being implemented in practice, under the direction of the political leadership. We were not doing the sensible thing until now: that is, starting with the threat, identifying the operational requirements demanded by that threat, moving on to the equipment for meeting those operational requirements and, consequently, securing the necessary staffing to support these capabilities. It is a sequence that if disturbed can actually create a lot of problems. Had we gone ahead with a major procurement program – acquiring, for example, the first 1,000 self-propelled artillery systems and creating 50 units – we would have run into problems because we’d then have to determine whether we actually needed them and whether we had the personnel to staff them. What we did, instead, was proceed with the restructuring of the armed forces and then move on to the procurements, instead of doing it the other way around, as had – mistakenly – been the case until now. The prime minister and the minister of national defense were the first to signal the need for this new reform framework.

A new general secretariat for national defense has also been announced. What is its role?

It constitutes the enhanced presence of the national security adviser to the prime minister, in the Government Council for Foreign Affairs and Defense (KYSEA), and across every aspect of the interministerial role and coordination required by national security. Information moves extremely fast and managing that information is of critical importance.

– Information management is, from what I gather, central to the procurement plan as well.
Yes, it is. Essentially, the entire command and control framework – whether it’s fire support command or capability management – will operate in a way that allows for network-based decision-making, ensuring that all decisions are executed rapidly. And, of course, this information will be critical so that the commanders on the ground can act without delay, based on their responsibilities and jurisdiction.

Is streamlining units aimed at achieving this kind of flexibility?

The previous organizational structure was sparse in terms of staffing, and the time that was required for these units to be ready was not – in view of the crises we anticipate down the line – sufficient to deliver the desired outcome, at the right place and time.

Efforts are also under way to reform not only military service, but more importantly, the reserve system.

The system will move away from the old model of calling up reservists. Instead, they will be directly connected to their unit. The unit will be able to communicate with the reservist quickly and efficiently using various tools (such as the Gov.gr platform). For this to work, the relationship between the reservist and the unit or formation must remain active to a significant degree. Above all, this connection will be based on the reservist’s voluntary participation and will not be mandatory for everyone.

Can our deterrence capabilities be enhanced through the European Union?

The future of our defense planning, both at the national and European levels, does not solely entail increasing the budget, but also aligning our efforts to strengthen the EU’s overall defense capabilities. The people responsible for making such decisions need to understand that it will take some bold choices for Europe to continue its historical trajectory. Europe must face its many security dilemmas head-on and acknowledge that wishful thinking is not an effective strategy. History is ultimately written by – and honors – the victors.

The war in Ukraine has certainly taught us a lot of lessons.

It has, indeed. A long period of attrition has not led to any significant territorial gains, and this is because ground combat puts excessive weight on the individual fighter as a unit on the battlefield. In many cases, we’ve seen that a single fighter with a terminal device can take an entire unit out of action, units that are, essentially, extremely difficult to command and control. Another key lesson is that drones and loitering munitions can achieve strikes at great strategic depth, at a very low cost. This is happening daily through the development of innovation and tools that have emerged from the fighting. In other words, certain operational needs arose in Ukraine and innovation provided the solutions. This was the case with drones, surveillance systems, geospatial tools, satellite power and how information was exchanged and used. Basically, the time from detecting a target to striking has been drastically reduced, as has the ability to react. One key requirement for all this is that commanders must be given the flexibility to make decisions depending on their rank and position. On the Russian side, we’ve seen a cumbersome decision-making mechanism that struggles with command and control. Moreover, additionally, deep strikes – whether by drones or strategic missiles – have cultivated a long-range attack environment. This is often paired with space-based communications and intelligence. Furthermore, the Black Sea has become a lake, trapping naval forces and keeping them constrained by the existing capabilities. The same goes for strategic installations on land. Overall, innovation has the power to render military equipment obsolete in a matter of hours.

How are the lessons from Ukraine being implemented in the field in Greece?

We look at what is required by the environment we’re in. The entire defense program is aimed at adaptation to this new geostrategic environment. Ours is an environment with many islands. As a landmass, every island will contribute to air defense, freeing up fighter jets and ground units from their exclusive roles in the Aegean or the East Mediterranean. The country’s geography is being fully leveraged with air defense systems, rocket artillery, anti-ship and anti-ballistic missiles, and anti-submarine capabilities. We are securing our deterrent capability, while at the same time maintaining our ability to carry out deep strategic strikes.

Strategic weapons have also been added into the mix.

Yes, with capabilities ranging over hundreds of kilometers, even a thousand. At the same time, the deployment of the “Achilles’ Shield” systems will enable both missile strikes and electronic warfare operations. The protective dome is not limited to missile interception; it also includes electronic attack capabilities, which can be used in the event of target saturation. There are also anti-air and anti-missile capabilities integrated into the navy’s new units, of course. An FDI frigate, for example, provides coverage of up to 180 kilometers around its physical presence. As a result, capabilities are being developed across the entire region of our geostrategic interest – from Crete to Cyprus, and in the Aegean.

Multiple crises with Turkey nearly came to a head in 2020. Are we in a better position to respond today in terms of capabilities?

Our capabilities today give us a natural advantage that, in every case, points to a much better environment for response to a crisis. Our ability to respond is now significantly faster.

What do you have to say to a young man of 18 eyeing a career in the armed forces?

Both my sons and my son-in-law are officers – and it was entirely their choice. I have served as commander of Evelpidon [the Hellenic Army Academy] and I would tell young people today the same thing I told the parents of the youngsters studying there. That it is, first and foremost, their own choice. This is not a field that will lead to wealth and it is also governed by certain principles and values. Thanks to the government’s recent initiatives, we can guarantee that officers make a decent livelihood and can carry out their duties without that stress. Of course, they must not take a civil servant’s view of the job. An officer must be fully committed and devoted to the service. It is a path with one mission: dedication to duty. Patriotism is not some vague or abstract notion to us – it is intrinsically linked to the highest ideal: being willing to sacrifice one’s life for one’s country.

The new identity of the armed forces entails the introduction of new specialized fields in the academies, such as informational technology.

The new defense systems require operators who can work them – and they will have them. They will come from the military academies fully trained for these roles. And, of course, as technology advances, we must also have what we call lifelong learning, lifelong knowledge. There will need to be certain restrictions at the same time. When the country has invested significant resources and effort into training a service member to operate a specific system, that expertise cannot be taken outside the armed forces just like that. In other words, an officer remains, above all, an officer. It is their moral contract with the country.

The involvement of the domestic defense industry has also been discussed. What can Greece do?

Greece has a few serious defense companies that export to 120 countries, yet we don’t buy from them. These are companies that survived the crisis, that have provided jobs to many young scientists, that have demonstrated that there is room for growth. We want people to produce and to support this entire armaments program.

How close is our relationship with the Israeli armed forces?

Very close. It is an alliance with very good prospects and solid foundations. Greece and Cyprus provide strategic depth to this relationship, and also for the nation of Israel. Within the armed forces, there is long-term strategic planning regarding the capabilities we can develop in cooperation with Israel. It is a partnership that is mutually beneficial for both nations. The Israeli armed forces are guided by a fundamental assumption: that there may be no tomorrow when it comes to operational readiness. I believe that we, too, can learn from this example and consider how we might adapt accordingly, in light of the threats we face.