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Athens’ plan to acquire ships capable of providing defense in the area: interest in US MMSC frigates and efforts to persuade Washington to release ships to be delivered to the Greek fleet.
The Greek Navy wants to consolidate its absolute dominance in the Aegean and the eastern Mediterranean in the coming years, proceeding with the reinforcement of armaments and the improvement of the Greek Fleet.
The issue of acquiring new frigates for the Navy has been the concern of the Greek “Pentagon” for quite some time, and Navy officials have repeatedly noted that The main frigate units of the Frigate Command must be renewed.
At the moment, our country has 13 frigates, nine types S and four types MEKO. The frigates S They are Dutch, of which two (ELLI and LIMNOS) were acquired in the period 1980-1981, while the remaining seven were acquired after their dismantling by the Dutch Navy. Of the S, six were updated in 2010, while the MEKO They are German and were commissioned in 1988, arrived in Greece in 1992 and after almost 30 years of combat service they need an immediate upgrade.
As everyone understands, despite the great effort to keep critical surface units operating at the highest level, time and wear have left their mark on … the frames and immediate changes and interventions are required.
The leadership of the American frigate MMSC and the … trick with them Arleigh burke
The process of acquiring four new frigates seems to have definitely “gone” and in the next few days we are expected to have important news.
The information indicates that they have an advantage in the race ούρ for the new Greek ship. the American MMSC (Multi-Mission Surface Combatant) from the Lockheed Martin company, which recalls that it also manufactures the best fifth-generation fighters in the world, the F-35.
It is said that the leadership of the Navy is … benevolent, among others, the American ship since, according to certain information, covers all Greek requirements.
Who are they;
- Number of shipbuilding frigates in Greek shipyards,
- Supply of intermediate solution vessels, i.e. used units that can be directly integrated into the fleet force operationally,
- Undertake the modernization of MEKO frigates – according to the changes desired by the Navy
Too, something extremely important is the fact that our country puts on the negotiating table with the Americans the Greece and the Navy participate in the US FFGX guided missile construction program., with the aim of undertaking the construction of several ships in the Greek shipyards.
Negotiation “key” The ship that will be the intermediate solution is considered, the ship that will arrive in the immediate future in Greece and will enter directly into the power of the Fleet. According to secure information, Athens is formally asking Washington to release an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, which could serve as a compromise until construction of the four MMSC frigates is completed.
The “Arleigh Burke” has a displacement that exceeds them 9,000 tons, 156 meters in length and a crew of almost 300 people. What matters is its armament, which is also very heavy. It has a 127mm cannon, “Phalanx” defense systems (wanted by the Navy), surface-to-air missiles and long-range anti-aircraft missiles (160 km), torpedoes and an organic helicopter. Navy sources indicate that with the Arleigh Burke he meets the Navy’s request for ships capable of providing area defense. This is one of the main reasons GEETHA and GEN have put this particular boat in their sights.
We note that the case of the release of Arleigh Burke from the US Navy is being considered. extremely difficult, as it is one of America’s leading percussion units. However, during negotiation it is certain that Athens will put more pressure and it is not excluded to propose the acquisition of American destroyers with lease method, so that later they can be obtained in their entirety. We also note that the decision to release the ships is a political one, so the response in Athens will not come before the new US president takes office. Joe Biden.
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Informal discussions also include Ticonderonga Cruises, a ship however that probably won’t suit the Greek fleet, while frigates also have a chance LCS.
The procedures are expected to proceed immediately, and the GEN will send the interest in writing to the committee in charge of the US government’s weapons programs in the coming days. The LOR (Letter Of Request) to be sent by Athens will describe the Greek interest in the MMSC frigate, while the US will be asked to propose an intermediate solution ship, having of course the official Arleigh request in its hands. Burke.
We emphasize once again that this document is not binding and the Americans necessarily ask for it to have the Greek interest in their ship in writing, otherwise they do not initiate any negotiations. Upon receipt of the LOR, Americans are asked to respond in the coming months to the if your frigate can meet the requirements of the Greek Navy. Of course, we are not talking only about the armament and the other characteristics of the ship, but about all the Greek requirements.
We need to clarify how Athens has not signed any agreements with the US and mainly has not excluded any of the other “suitors”. This means that the French, Germans, Dutch and others who wish can come back with improved suggestions. But nevertheless, In any proposal arriving in Athens, a good intermediate solution ship must be proposed, to be painted blue and white until the Greek MMSC, or Belh @ rra or A-200 or any other ship that meets the conditions is ready.
It is a fact that our country wants to change the data in the eastern Mediterranean by creating a Even more powerful fleet, consisting of modern ships. However, for the new ships to arrive in Greece, a comprehensive negotiation is needed on the basis of all Greek needs.
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