Greece is seeking a €250 million donation from the country's powerful shipping industry to strengthen its navy, as Defense Minister Nikos Dendias pushes ahead with an ambitious overhaul of the armed forces aimed at modernizing military capabilities by 2030.
Dendias said Wednesday he had formally requested the contribution from the Union of Greek Shipowners, with the funds earmarked exclusively for expanding the navy's operational capabilities. The initiative has the backing of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
The request underscores Greece's growing reliance on private-sector contributions to supplement defense investments as Athens seeks to adapt its military to emerging technological threats and persistent security challenges in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Speaking at the unveiling of the renovated Defense Ministry headquarters, Dendias said Greece's armed forces required fundamental restructuring after decades of relying on outdated military doctrines.
"Everything has changed," he said, pointing to advances in artificial intelligence, cyberwarfare and modern battlefield technologies.
The government's *Agenda 2030* defense program, launched in January 2024, aims to transform military organization, procurement and operational capabilities across five domains: land, sea, air, cyberspace and space.
The reforms include a 20-year military procurement framework, restructuring of military units and expanded housing and benefits for service personnel.
Dendias said the ministry had already received approximately €130 million in private donations, primarily supporting military infrastructure.
The latest contribution includes €10 million from Greece's Piraeus Bank, which financed the redesigned northern facade of the Defense Ministry headquarters, created by prominent Greek sculptor Costas Varotsos.
The renovation forms part of a broader transformation of the ministry's complex, including new green spaces and a memorial honoring fallen military personnel.
Dendias described the architectural project as a symbol of the wider military transformation.
He said that, if the reforms continue, Greece could possess the strongest armed forces in its modern history by 2030.
