‘No, a Thousand Times No’: Greek Defense Minister on LCS Deal

Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias was particularly critical of the letter from U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, which referenced a number of weapon systems, vehicles, and warships the U.S. intends to provide to Greece. Dendias expressed his concerns on December 14, 2024 during his speech in the Hellenic Parliament on the draft bill for the “Ratification of the State Budget for the Fiscal Year 2025”. Responding to questions from Parliamentary Representatives of the Parties, the Minister of National Defense made notable remarks regarding the United States and the Blinken letter. He also emphasized the unsuitability of the proposed LCS vessels (Freedom Class) for the Hellenic Navy. My story for Naval News, here.

Israel Launches Reshef-class Corvette Program

Israel's Ministry of Defense today inked the contract to start the Reshef-class corvette program. Five vessels are being procured for the Israeli Navy. They will be built locally by Israel Shipyards but some hull modules will be fabricated overseas by a U.S. shipbuilder. After more than 20 years, the Israeli Ministry of Defense and the IDF are resuming the production of combat ships in Israel. Today, December 12, 2024, the Director General of the Ministry of Defense, Maj. Gen. (ret.) Eyal Zamir, signed the “Reshef” deal in a small ceremony at HaKirya, Tel Aviv, attended by the Navy Commander, Maj. Gen. David Salama, Deputy Director General and Head of the Defense Procurement Directorate (DOPP), Zeev Landau, Head of the Planning and Force-Build-up Directorate of the IDF, Maj. Gen. Eyal Harel, Chairman of Israel Shipyards, Sami Katsav, CEO of Israel Shipyards, Eitan Zucker, Head of the Finance Division, CPA Dekel Cohen, and other senior officials. M ystory for Naval News, here.