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The latest couple events in the DEFENDORY series of three-services defence exhibitions in Athens, while maintaining their traditional importance and appeal were somewhat smaller than previous record events back in the '80s and early '90s. This year's 12th DEFENDORY (1st-5th October) marked a return to the positive growth trend, as some 500 exhibitors from no less than 37 different countries (including first-time exhibitors Georgia, Hungary and India) had booked down to the last square metre of available exhibiting space.
This success is in curious contrast with the situation of the modernisation programme of the Hellenic Armed Forces (EMPAE), which over the past few years has been a powerful incentive for foreign industries to attend DEFENDORY. The current EMPAE was formulated back in 2000 and was originally expected to cover the 2001-2005 period, but financial difficulties have since caused this to be stretched until 2008 along with some modifications and cuts. The next EMPAE is however expected to revert to a five-year planning scheme and thus will cover the 2008-2013 period.
Still, Greece's defence expenditures to the tune of 4.9% of GDP continue to provide a number of interesting commercial opportunities. By the same token, even the preparations for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens (these having been identified by many observers as the main cause for EMPAE's financial problems) may eventually prove to be a blessing in disguise, as quite a few exhibitors at this year's DEFENDORY were chasing Olympics-- related security contracts.
Beyond these EMPAE-related considerations, DEFENDORY also confirmed its traditional function as an industrialists' meeting point as well as an efficient venue to establish useful contacts with foreign delegations (55 such delegations from countries in all continents but Antarctica attended this year's exhibition). The only possible negative spot is the organisers' pricing policy, which makes DEFENDORY one of the most expensive when not the single most expensive event in the defence exhibition circuit and which an industrial representative described to MT as "absurd".
Hellenic Armed Forces Programmes
The following sections provide a concise status report on the new re-equipment and modernisation programmes of the Hellenic Armed Forces, be these within or beyond the framework of EMPAE.
Hellenic Navy
The Chief of Staff of the Hellenic Navy, Vice-Admiral Antonios Antoniadis announced that the...