The Hellenic Manufacturers of Defence Materiel Association (SEKPY) welcomes with particular satisfaction the decision of the Minister of National Defence, Mr Nikos Dendias, to send a letter to the General Directorate of Defence Investments and Armaments (GDDIA) of the Ministry of Defence, requesting that a Greek participation rate of 25% be foreseen in all the country’s armament programmes.

According to the relevant announcement, this constitutes a vindication for SEKPY and Greek defence companies, as it has been a long-standing request that contractors of equipment programmes—whether related to procurement or modernisation/upgrading—be required to commit to industrial offsets of 30% of the respective contracts’ cost, as is standard practice internationally.

This decision marks a crucial step both for the National Defence Autonomy and for the strengthening of the domestic defence industry.

SEKPY will continue to consistently advocate for Greek participation in every armament programme, ensuring its sustainable development and productive capacity, the announcement continues.

At the same time, the SEKPY will insist in its request for the creation of a separate Governmental Structure, in the form of a Deputy Ministry exclusively responsible for the Defence Industry, with a central strategic policy and an institutional role, to put an end to the “a la carte” treatment of the Defence Industry’s participation in armament programmes.

For SEKPY, the modernisation of the Hellenic Armed Forces with the new equipment will be of limited value if the maximum possible participation of the Greek defence industry in both production and subsequent support is not ensured.

Also read: SEKPY | The Strategy of the Next Five Years is Necessary for the Hellenic Defence Industry