Is Greece ready for drone warfare – Legal hurdles and institutional roadblocks

The mass production of Greek-made drones is the result of at least three years of dedicated collaboration between the State and Armed Forces. Urgent EU rearmament efforts and the technological revolution visible in Ukraine have transformed modern warfare in the 21st century. However, despite strong bipartisan political support, the outdated institutional framework, complex bureaucracy, lack of digital infrastructure, insufficient certification processes, and the current structure of the Armed Forces slow down progress—especially as Turkey’s defense industry continues to expand globally.

Reflecting the sluggishness of the state’s response to contemporary defense industry challenges, 31 companies recently submitted bids to the Hellenic Defense Innovation Center (ELKAK S.A.) for the Development of Unmanned Surface-to-Sea Vessels (USV). Each company presented extensive dossiers filled with hundreds of documents, including tax and insurance certificates.

The bureaucratic hurdles are exacerbated by the lack of a digital registry for Greek defense tech firms and the stringent regulations of Law 3978/2011 (“Procurement of defense equipment for the Armed Forces”). This law requires weapon systems for the Greek Armed Forces to be acquired through donations or tenders, which can take 2-3 years for contractor selection, or even longer if legal appeals are made, extending the timeframe to five years.

If the process proceeds without significant issues from the Audit Court, a contractor may lose two years of preparation. In contrast, procurement for supplies like bedding for the Armed Forces moves much more quickly due to Law no. 4412 and the National System of Electronic Public Procurement (ESIDES), which facilitates public procurement. In countries like the US and Israel, expedited procedures exist for crises, allowing for swift responses to urgent operational needs, while Greece’s procurement method excludes direct awards to domestic companies, although foreign transactions may bypass such restrictions.

Even with improvements in institutional frameworks, the readiness of the Greek Armed Forces to incorporate new technologies remains uncertain, despite plans stemming from the New Structure of the Armed Forces. Current regulations stipulate that unmanned aerial vehicle operators need a certification diploma, which many service members acquire through private training at considerable expense, as it is not included in their military training. Additionally, even if qualified pilots are available, access to firing ranges for testing remains uncertain.

While there exists a specialty that could align with drone operation, such as Firefighters, no formal procedure is established in the military. Furthermore, if the Armed Forces were to acquire drones in large numbers, they would still require permits from the DGAEE to facilitate testing through appropriate firing ranges for drone evaluation by military personnel and manufacturers.

This scenario leaves Greece with limited domestic drone capabilities and a heavy reliance on imports, contrasting sharply with Turkey, which is advancing UAV technology (e.g., TB2, Akinci) and developing new systems with enhanced combat capabilities like AI (Kizilelma). Furthermore, Turkey’s UAV export network spans over 30 countries, as they also work on sophisticated countermeasure technologies, exemplified by the Steel Dome.