Targeting torpedo obstacles
An effort is under way by the Defense Ministry to overcome the obstacles created by an old legal dispute between the Greek state and the company that supplies new heavy-duty torpedoes (SeaHake Mod 4) for the Hellenic Navy’s submarines.
Despite the fact that the contract for the supply of the torpedoes was ratified by Parliament a year ago, the German side is experiencing delays due to the pending consensual settlement of all legal disputes between the company and the Greek state.
These disputes concern offenses that, in accordance with reliable sources, are no longer statute-barred and therefore the contract for the supply of the torpedoes was signed with the understanding that the ongoing legal disputes would be resolved.
The legal disputes arose in the early 2000s, in connection with the initial agreements between the Greek state and the German companies for the construction of Type 214 submarines and the upgrade of Type 209 submarines.
Based on the Navy’s planning, the torpedoes should begin to be delivered in June, while the process of creating new workshops at the Salamis Naval Station has long been under way in order to be able to support a new system that enhances the comparative advantage that the 214 submarines have in the Aegean.
Apart from the legal issues that exist, there is concern about some additional benefits that the Navy had secured with the torpedo contract, which, according to some circles in the Defense Ministry, may be called into question by the Germans, who are already discussing the possibility of a delay in the delivery of the torpedoes.
These include some materials worth 6 million euros, but also a 10% discount per torpedo guaranteed by the German company Atlas Elektronik GmbH in the original contract. What’s more, the contract included, at no additional cost, materials critical to the Navy’s logistics system.
