Change of guard in armed forces
Sweeping changes were made on Friday to Greece’s military leadership by the National Security Governmental Council (KYSEA), Greece’s top decision-making body for foreign affairs and defense matters, in a move signifying the government’s intention to proceed with a fundamental revision of the way the armed forces operate.
Lieutenant General Dimitris Houpis, until now the commander of Special Warfare, was appointed as the new chief of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff (GEETHA), replacing Konstantinos Floros.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed gratitude to Floros for his substantial contribution over the past four years – a period characterized by “significant geopolitical volatility and crises.”
Lieutenant General Georgios Kostidis has been appointed chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff (HAGS), while Dimitrios Kataras, formerly the vice admiral of the Hellenic Navy, has taken on the position of chief of the Hellenic Navy General Staff (HNGS).
Dimosthenis Grigoriadis, the former commander of the Air Support Command, is now the chief of the Hellenic Air Force General Staff (HAFGS).
The new GEETHA chief, Houpis, is a PhD with honors from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering of the National Technical University of Athens in information transmission systems, and his selection reflects the new model that the government wants to implement for the armed forces.
This new model marks a shift of the armed forces to new technologies, such as drones, telecoms and IT technology and electronic warfare, in which the new chief specializes.
Rear Admiral Polychronis Koulouris, previously the deputy fleet commander in chief of the Hellenic Fleet and possessing extensive maritime experience in the Greek fleet’s frigates, has been promoted to the position of chief of the Hellenic Fleet. Panagiotis Georgakopoulos, formerly the director of the D Branch of the Hellenic Air Force General Staff, now assumes the role of chief of the Hellenic Tactical Air Force Command (HTAF).
