- Πλήρης επιβεβαίωση των Data Journalists από τον υπουργό Εθνικής Άμυνας, Νίκο Δένδια, για την «ανετοιμότητα» της φρεγάτας ΚΙΜΩΝ.
- «Το πλοίο δεν έχει ενταχθεί απολύτως επιχειρησιακά στον Στόλο. Αυτό είναι αλήθεια».
- Μεγάλο ρίσκο για την αεράμυνα της χώρας και ειδικά περιοχών με μεγάλα αστικά κέντρα, η μεταφορά Patriot στην Κάρπαθο.
By Paris Karvounopoulos
A few hours after the Data Journalists’ report on Greece’s participation in the war against Iran, the Minister of National Defense, Nikos Dendias, fully confirmed the information regarding the operational readiness of the frigate KIMON. In a television interview, he said, among other things:
“They know their ship well. They were in France for a long time. They know it well. What has not been completed, and I want to be honest with you and with Greek citizens, is that the ship has not yet been fully integrated into the fleet operationally. That is the truth.” In other words, there are some difficulties with the systems communicating with each other when operating with the Fleet. Under normal conditions, this process would take several months. Under emergency conditions, however, we can do it much faster.”
The only problem is that the “emergency conditions” are a war, and the government’s decision to send the fleet’s most modern, but operationally unready, and extremely expensive warship into the zone of fire is a major risk. The difficulties caused by this lack of readiness became apparent in the first hours after KIMON arrived in Cyprus. The much older frigate PSARA has proven to be far more useful in detecting “asymmetric threats.”
Data Journalists spoke with highly experienced officers of the Hellenic Navy, many of whom have years of sea service and have participated in the commissioning of warships. They told Data Journalists that the process of operational integration is by no means an easy task. In the case of KIMON, this process has many particularities because it involves new technology.
The paradox of the government’s decision is that all of this was already known and publicly stated by prominent figures in the Hellenic Navy, such as retired Rear Admiral Kosmas Christidis. In a public statement on January 27, he explained that the frigate KIMON’s operational readiness level is very rudimentary and that it has not been operationally certified by a Greek naval authority or the corresponding British Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST).
In short, the government has failed to understand the difference between a ship’s operational readiness levels: “ready to sail,” “ready to employ,” and “ready to deploy.” This means that, from initial operational training involving individual maneuvers to training for missions with a high operational or combat footprint, it is a long journey that requires time.
We will not discuss the issues with the frigate KIMON in detail because they are normal and expected. These so-called “teething problems” appear on every ship and can be corrected. That is logical. However, it is illogical to send a warship on missions that could easily escalate into combat operations at this stage.
As Admiral Christidis pointed out, “If there are malfunctions, technical failures, or pending issues with the systems, which is normal for a new weapons system, then the ship is not fully operational. The concept of full operational capability leaves no room for asterisks.”
He also emphasizes the direct link between the presence of the frigate Kimon and aligning military deployments with diplomatic objectives. “If the presence of Greek units in the Eastern Mediterranean is not incorporated into the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ active planning, it becomes a mere show of force. Military power without a political footprint is only half as powerful,” he argues.
No one disputes that the frigate KIMON will serve as a force multiplier. The question is whether it is currently being used as a fully operational weapon or whether it is being instrumentalized for political purposes.
“Black Hole”
In the Data Journalists’ report on the country’s air defense systems and their shortcomings, which have become a concern since the outbreak of war in Iran, we noted that the government had decided to transfer air defense systems to an island in the Dodecanese. At the time, the information referred to a short-range Crotale system. Ultimately, however, developments proved far more unfavorable. The Crotale air defense systems were moved to protect the Patriots, which the government had relocated from another region of the country.
This creates a problem for much of Greek territory, including major urban centers, as it leaves them without long-range air defense coverage. This area had previously been covered by two Patriot batteries. One was transferred to Crete last summer to protect Souda during the 12-day war. Now, the second battery has been moved to Karpathos. This is a high-risk decision because a significant portion of Greece is now exposed. It should be noted that the Patriot batteries were positioned to cover the Aegean Sea and major urban centers on the mainland. However, the infuriating part of the situation is that Greece transferred one Patriot battery to Saudi Arabia in 2020, and today it is considered essential for the country’s air defense.
The government has taken on significant risks regarding both KIMON and the redeployment of the Patriots. These risks are expected to grow as the war is anticipated to last longer. The Americans are already talking about hostilities lasting at least 100 days, a long period during which many things could happen.
