Greece, which hosts an EU operation to protect ships from attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels in the Red Sea, hopes to play a more central role in securing the 27-nation bloc, Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias said, as quoted by Reuters. on Monday, reports Agerpres.

“We must be able to defend ourselves,” Nikos Dendias said, adding that the European Union can achieve this in cooperation with NATO and other allies.

“What we are trying to do is to have a domestic defense industry in Greece and in Europe that could meet the needs of the European Union,” he explained to Reuters.

The EU’s naval mission in the Red Sea, called Aspides, which means “Shields” in Greek, was launched last month to protect ships from attacks by Iran-allied Houthi militants in support of the Palestinian militant group Hamas in its war against Gaza. with Israel.

“You can’t be a crossroads if there are no roads”

At the crossroads between Asia, Africa and Europe, Greece controls the world’s largest merchant fleet and attacks on its ships have increased. In Greece’s largest port, Piraeus, trade fell by 40%.

Last week, the Greek frigate Hydra sailed into the Red Sea as the country took command of the EU mission, which will be based in the city of Larissa. Italy leads the naval forces.

“It’s important to be successful,” Dendias said. “You cannot be a crossroads if there are no roads or they are not working. Therefore, for us (Greece), this is a huge threat directly and indirectly,” he said.

Both Greece and the European Union are concerned about the “sophisticated approach” of the Houthis, who use sea mines and underwater weapons to carry out attacks, he added.

The safety of the five Aspides warships and crew, also from Germany, Italy, Belgium and France, is a cause for concern, the Greek minister said, calling for close coordination with other navies in the area, which include US and Indian warships. .

“Having a very close communication and maximally joint approach with other fleets (…) is expedient and important,” he said.

How Greece wants to reform its army. “The Great Challenge”

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the European Union wants to strengthen its defense role as a bloc rather than as a summation of 27 nations where military policy is developed at the national level, Reuters notes.

Greece, which is also a member of NATO, wants to reform its army following the example of Finland. It is also looking to revamp its defense industry and boost its shipyard business as it recovers from a decade-long debt crisis that forced it to cut costs.

Athens has drawn up a multi-billion-dollar procurement plan over 10 years that includes the purchase of up to 40 new US F-35 fighter jets, three French frigates and US Black Hawk helicopters.

The country wants to produce unmanned aerial vehicles and anti-drone systems and is in talks with the United States to jointly design and build a new class of Constellation frigates for the Greek Navy. Foreign frigates can be maintained at Greek shipyards, Dendias said.

“It’s a huge challenge,” he said. “We are a proud maritime nation, but this is the first time in our history that we have been able to jointly design such an important platform as Constellation,” he noted.