Greece plays procurement catch-up with Turkey
Tensions with Turkey over maritime sovereignty and the exploitation of lucrative gas reserves in the Mediterranean are directly affecting procurement decisions in Athens
While Turkey continues an ambitious naval shipbuilding programme, the Hellenic Navy must put up with a fleet of ageing vessels as it confronts its regional rival.
Both navies have similar-sized fleets but ‘Turkey is clearly ahead of Greece in the modernisation game’, explained Emmanuel Karagiannis, an associate professor at King’s College London.
For example, the four Istanbul-class frigates under construction will offer the Turkish Navy a range of advanced multi-role combat capabilities, while the launch of its new amphibious assault ship Anadolu will bolster long-distance expeditionary operations. (It is worth noting that Shephard Defence Insight expects a delay to
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