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In the shadow of the tension in the Eastern Mediterranean and Aegean, the Athens administration has chosen to increase its share of the arms budget by 5 times by 2021, despite its financial difficulties, austerity policies and the support of the European Union. (EU).
Explaining that it allocates € 5.49 billion for defense by 2021 and € 2.5 billion for weapons items in defense spending, the Athens military spending plan reached the highest level in the last 11 years.
Greece, which carried out a major weapons program after the Kardak crisis in 1996, cut its military spending after the economic crisis it entered in 2010.
The country established a defense budget of 4,090 million euros in 2010, 4,917 million in 2011, 4,155 million in 2012, 3,692 million in 2013 and 3,305 million in 2014 and 2015.
Greece’s defense budget, which was 3,210 million in 2016, 3,163 million in 2017 and 3,189 million in 2018, remained at the level of 3,388 million in 2019 and 3,390 million in 2020.
THE BUDGET WAS 540 MILLION EUROS IN 2020
Greece kept the portion destined for arms in the defense budget determined for the last year at 542 million 779 thousand euros, and for this year at the level of 540 million 692 thousand euros.
The country, which ranks high among NATO member countries in terms of the relationship between military spending and economic size, spent 2.28 percent of its gross domestic product last year on defense.
In this regard, Greece draws attention with the NATO target of 2 percent and 1.2 percent above the average for EU countries.
Considering that the country’s gross domestic product has been reduced by approximately a quarter due to the financial crisis experienced in the last 10 years, the size of the amount spent on military items stands out.
Greece, which has seen signs of recovery in its economy since 2017, has started to contract again with the effect of the new type of coronavirus epidemic (Kovid-19).
10.5 PERCENT DROP FORECAST FOR 2020
While Greece is expected to contract 10.5 percent this year based on the economic growth projection included in the 2021 state budget, the government, which has increased its military spending, is criticized by wide circles, especially the parties of opposition in the country.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Miçotakis, decided to increase his military spending as a pretext for tensions in Turkey and the eastern Mediterranean for the public to “trade”, since while intense efforts are being made, the high cost of weapons plans is causing concern in community.
According to Greek press reports, 18 Rafale-type fighter jets planned to be purchased from France will cost the country approximately € 2.5 billion. Greece, which will sign an agreement with France to acquire these aircraft in the next few days, is expected to receive the first delivery next July.
With the intention of spending 10 billion euros on weapons in the next 10 years, the Greek authorities plan to supplement the country’s army with 15,000 new military personnel.
Greece’s project to upgrade its fleet of F-16 jets by American Lockheed Martin is expected to be completed in 2027 at a cost of around 1.25 billion euros.
