2 yıl önce

Athens fuels up crisis with naval base expansion in Crete Island

Hundreds of millions of dollars have been allocated to the upgrade Souda base into a “permanent base” for the Greek navy, according to Greek media.

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A photo taken from Mugla province shows militarisation on Greek island of Pserimos on June 12, 2022, Turkiye.

Athens is ramping up its ongoing armament programme, with plans to step up the military buildup on the island of Crete and upgrade its arsenal, according to a Greek media report.

Greece will allocate about $200 million to upgrade and expand a naval base at Souda Bay, the daily Kathimerini reported.

Defense Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos informed the Parliamentary Committee on Defense Affairs about the additional allocation for the naval base, the report said.

According to the daily, the eventual plan is to transform Souda into a “permanent base” for the Greek navy, allowing for “faster and more direct access to the Eastern Mediterranean.”

It said the equivalent of about $950 million are expected to be doled out for the modernisation of RM-70 multiple rocket launchers, while “a similar budget will be used for the upgrade of the 122mm rocket launchers.”

Another $168 million will go toward the maintenance of the navy’s S-70 Aegean Hawk helicopters, along with nearly $160 million to be spent on procuring 30,000 120mm ammunition rounds for the army’s German-made Leopard 2 tanks.

The committee has also approved $21 million for new Hellfire missiles for US-made Apache helicopters equipped with laser guidance systems, the report added.

SOURCE: AA