• Formulation of the National Defence Policy based on the evaluation of long term perspectives and approval of long and mid-term development programmes of the defence capabilities of the country as well as major programmes of defence procurement.
  
  
• Decision making on issues of National Defence and especially on issues requiring co-ordination of more than one Ministries.
  
  
• Decision making on declaration and cancellation measures and status of alert, as well as the partial or general mobilisation of the country.
  
  
• Proposal to the President of the Republic, after the recommendation of the Minister of National Defence, for the declaration or cancellation of the general or partial mobilisation as well as the declaration of war.
  
  
• Decision-making on assignments of the Hellenic Armed Forces within the framework of the country's international obligations.
  
  
• Selection of the Chief, Hellenic National Defence General Staff and the Chiefs of the General Staffs, after recommendation of the Minister of National Defence.

• The Minister of National Defence
  
  
• The Deputy Minister(s) of National Defence
  
  
• The Defence Council
  
  
• The Joint Council of Chiefs of General Staffs
  
  
• Chief, Hellenic National Defence General Staff
  
  
• The Supreme Councils of the services of the Armed Forces (Supreme Army Council, Supreme Navy Council, Supreme Air-Force Council)
  
  
• The Chiefs of the General Staffs of the three services
  
  
• The Armed Forces of the country (Army, Navy, Air-Force)
  
  
• The Staff of the Minister of National Defence (MOD Staff)
  
  
• The General Armaments Directorate
  
  
• The Integrated Administrative Agency.

• Is responsible for the command and control of the Armed Forces and the implementation of the National Defence Policy of the Government.
  
  
• Is directing the MOD Staff, the HNDGS as well as every service of the Armed Forces. He commands and controls the Armed Forces through the Chiefs of HAGS, HNGS and HAFGS and is coordinating them through the Chief, Hellenic National Defence General Staff.
  
  
• Approves the National Military Strategy, the military evaluation and assessment and the directions of the defence planning that specify the objectives of Greece's national defence.
  
  
• Recommends to the Government Council on Foreign Affairs and National Defence the future structure of the Armed Forces.

• Decides upon the structure and organisation of the Armed Forces as well as on the posts allocated to career personnel and civilian personnel of the Ministry of National Defence.
  
  
• Decides upon the required annual reviews of the approved mid-term defence planning.
  
  
• Determines the ceilings of personnel and public investments.
  
  
• Decides upon the establishment and deactivation of the units of the services of the Armed Forces.
  
  
• Directs and co-ordinates the actions of other public organisations and services regarding their contribution to national defence and evaluates the national defence potential.
  
  
• Provides the general directions for the preparation of the annual budget, the programme of public investments and the financial policy of the Ministry.
  
  
• Decides upon infrastructure projects.
  
  
• Recommends to the Government Council on Foreign Affairs and National Defence the policy over the development and modernisation of the defence industry.
  
  
• Proposes and implements the offsets policy.
  
  
• Co-ordinates and approves procurement programmes.
  
  
• Submits to the Parliament an annual report on the most important activities of the Armed Forces.
  
  
• Determines the policy on training and personnel.
  
  
• Determines the policy of participation of the national forces in allied exercises or within the context of international agreements.

• Assessment of international developments that could directly influence the national security of the country.
  
  
• The structure of the Armed Forces, the armaments and the R&D programmes, budget and public investment programs.

• Greek military participation in the implementation of a peace plan for Bosnia-Herzegovina.
  
  
• Participation of Greece in military exercises in Cyprus.
  
  
• Armed Forces recruitment and Reserves legislation.
  
  
• Exercise of operational command.
  
  
• Revision of the EMPAE for 1996-2000.
  
  
• NATO military budgets.
  
  
• Annual progress report on emergency planning for 1996 and defence expenditures budget for 1997.
  
  
• Civil Defence.
  
  
• Hellenic military participation in the implementation of the humanitarian aid plan 'SUNRISE', in Albania.
  
  
• Future structure of the armed Forces, performance of weapons and other systems, efficiency and productivity of the Cadres.
  
  
• Security developments in the wider area of the Balkans.
  
  
• Assessment of the security environment in the region.
  
  
• Air defence of the country.

• Chief/HNDGS
  
  
• Chief/HAGS
  
  
• Chief/HNGS
  
  
• Chief/HAFGS

• Decision making as provided by the existing legislation, as well as on issues submitted by the Minister of Defence, the Chief/HNDGS or by any other member.
  
  
• The submission of proposals or recommendations to the Minister of National Defence on issues of National Military Strategy, military evaluation of readiness, directions of defence planning, structure of the Forces, as well as on other issues of major importance.

• Organisation and structure for each one of the services.
  
  
• Operational Doctrine of the forces of each service.
  
  
• Discipline and internal administration.
  
  
• Armaments programmes.
  
  
• Budget and public investment planning of each of the services.
  
  
• Assignments, promotions, retirements and complaints by officers about unfair treatment.
  
  
• Preparations of laws, decrees and regulations pertinent to each one of the services.

• Combat Arms : Infantry, Cavalry-Armour and Artillery.
  
  
• Combat Support Arms : Engineers, Signals and Army Aviation.

• Combat Support Corps : Technical, Supply and Transportation, Ordnance and Medical.
  
  
• Other Corps : Financial, Geographic, R&D and Information Systems, Auditing, Military Registrars, Post, Military Bands, Quartermasters, Arms Corps Technicians Corps.

• Basic Unit is the Battalion.
  
  
• The Basic combat Group is the regiment (for the Infantry and Special Forces), the Artillery Command and the Artillery Group (for Artillery). Basic Formations are the Brigade, the Division, the Corps and the Army.

a. Continuation of the mechanisation of the Army and establishment of more Brigade level formations.

b. Reduction of the Command Echelons and abolishment of the Division and the Regiment level of Infantry, to the greatest possible extent, in order to obtain the desirable flexibility and mobility in the areas of command and operations.

c. The existence of sufficient forces at threatened areas for the protection of the borders.

d. Establishment of powerful rapid reaction forces (Second Army Corps) including mechanised formations, army aviation Brigade, all the Special Forces and airborne units and other forces with the objective of:


* Immediate intervention at any part of the country deemed necessary.
* Implementation of the "equivalent retaliation".
* Successful implementation of the Joint Defence Area Doctrine.
* Fulfillment of the national obligations at the international level.


e. A change in training policy, according to Greece's operational needs and the international standards.

f. Enhancement of the Army's capabilities with all the necessary modern weapon systems.

a. Anti-aircraft missile systems (SHORADS) for the increase of the air defence capabilities.

b. New generation MBTs.

c. Modern attack and transport helicopters.

d. Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS).

e. Long - range missiles - ATACMS.

f. Modern self-propelled guns.

g. Smart weapons.

h. Sophisticated Radars.

i. Advanced Communication Systems.

j. New anti-tank weapons with laser technology.

k. Global Positioning Systems.

l. Command Control -Communications Intelligence- (C3I) Systems.

m. Modern mortars and small arms for the infantry as well as other kind equipment for the Special Forces.

n. Other support systems and logistical support means like vehicles of all types, mobile field hospitals, modern engineering equipment, etc.

The goals of the Hellenic Naval Strategy are as follows:

• deterrence
  
• naval presence
  
• sea control and
  
• power protection ashore

• contribute to the safeguarding of Greece's territorial integrity,
  
  
• defend the country's sovereign rights on the continental shelf,
  
  
• maintain open sea-lines of communication, and
  
  
• contribute to the high morale of the population of the islands.

• maritime surveillance and collection of information throughout the Hellenic seas. For this purpose, units of the Fleet constantly use the islands as their bases to conduct continuous or occasional surveillance and reconnaissance patrols;
  
  
• naval presence throughout the Mediterranean sea as an instrument of national defence policy and manifestation of political determination;
  
  
• conduct of naval, airmaritime and joint exercises in an operational environment, as well as the participation in allied exercises, for the purpose of familiarising the personnel and ensuring high-level training;

• maintenance of the Hellenic naval tradition, a centuries old heritage which has brought the Hellenic civilisation through the seas;
  
  
• conduct of transports in support of the other services of the Armed Forces;
  
  
• use of naval power for crisis management;
  
  
• maintaining the regular flow in the local sea lines of communication;
  
  
• enhancing the morale of the population of the islands;

a. Large scale combined tactical exercises (LIVEX) with the participation of all the services of the Armed Forces.

b. Medium and small scale tactical and technical exercises directed by various command levels, starting from Flotilla Commands and Squadrons.

c. Large scale command post exercises (CPX).

d. Medium scale multinational technical exercises (INVITEX), in which the Navies of the NATO-member countries are invited.

e. Participation in allied multinational INVITEX-type exercises of other countries.

• the planning of the unified MOD budget of 1998.
  
  
• the editing of regulations for the organisation and operation of the General Armaments Directorate and drafting of the regulation of the internal service of the Air Force.
  
  
• the completion of the catalogue of instructions on various stages of the execution of the national defence planning.
  
  
• the revision of the 1996-2000 EMPAE which has been approved by the Government Council on Foreign Affairs and Defence (1998-2002 EMPAE).
  
  
• the drafting of the first 15-year armament targets programme for 1998 - 2012.
  
  
• the drafting of a joint ministerial Decision for the arrangement of the agreed dividend warranties and former of the FMF contract loans (from 1969).
  
  
• the development, in co-operation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the HNDGS and the permanent representations of Greece abroad, of proposals for the formulation Greece's positions in international organisations such as the WEU and NATO.
  
  
• the preparation and implementation of bilateral defence agreements.
  
  
• the utilisation of the EU initiative "INTERREG" for the additional education and training of the enlisted personnel.
  
  
• the contribution to the law drafting process on subjects of major importance such as recruitment, the salary policy for officers and NCOs and also the career of the permanent cadres of the Armed Forces.
  
  
• the study of the restructuring of the operational framework of the Military Academies and NCO schools, the establishment of professional orientation in the Armed Forces and the improvement of the training of the civilian personnel.
  
  
• the drafting of laws for the possibility of entry of migrant Hellenes to the Military Academies, for the extension of benefits to peacetime casualties, to national resistance and civil war combatants and for the moral reinstatement of soldiers and victims of the Turkish invasion in Cyprus.

• the intensification of the restructuring and the improvement of the domestic defence industry.
  
  
• the signing of many contracts for the procurement of defence equipment with significant offsets in the fields of sub-contractors and transfer of know-how.
  
  
• the implementation of a series of inter-governmental defence co-operation agreements in the fields of procurement and technology.
  
  
• the co-ordination of unified provisions for the procurement of similar - other than the main - equipment for all General Staffs and, in addition thorough examination of the possibility of their production by the domestic industry.

• proposals to determine the sources of procurement
  
  
• informing the defence industry about the procurement programmes
  
  
• control of the implementation of the contracts
  
  
• organisation of specialist's committees
  
  
• participation in procurement committees
  
  
• certification of quality control systems
  
  
• participation in research programmes
  
  
• participation in international development and construction programmes
  
  
• controlling and proposing on financial issues of state industries, supervised by the MOD
  
  
• provision of government guarantees for loans to the defence industry
  
  
• ensuring the participation of domestic industry in co-production
  
  
• ensuring production and know-how through various offset benefits.

• Creation of a data base.
  
  
• Domestic production of materiel - spare parts (determination of materiel producable in Greece).
  
  
• Licence for domestic production of material - spare parts.
  
  
• Technological, economic studies of programmes for main equipment (studies for hellenisation).
  
  
• Registration of Hellenic constructors.
  
  
• Legal status.
  
  
• Programmes

a. The active participation in international organisations and the exploitation of intergovernmental co-operation agreements for Greece's procurement policy.

b. The equal participation of the MOD in the decisions for the development of a common European Security and Defence identity (ESDI).

c. The elaboration of the convergence programme of the Hellenic Defence Industry and establishment of financial resources to ensure its viability and competitiveness within the Open European Defence Market.

d. Planning and implementation, in co-operation with industry, of an active marketing programme aiming at the promotion of export activities of our defence industry.

e. The directorate actively participates in fora and activities of international organisations such as NATO, WEAG, WEAO and also in a series of important programmes in order to improve the capabilities of the country in critical armaments sectors and, in addition, to modernise the defence industry.

f. Our country participates in the National Armaments Directors (NAD) conference which is one of the highest level organs of NATO in the field of co-operation in armaments.

• The assignment of work to the Hellenic defence industry.
  
  
• Transfer - provision of know how - construction plans - production equipment - reception facilities or investments.
  
  
• Delivery of materiel or services to the Armed Forces.
  
  
• So far, production awards to the defence industry reach the total net amount of 35.5 billion Drs.

• Determination of processes.
  
  
• Standardisation of the legal framework of procurement of general equipment for the Armed Forces.
  
  
• Harmonisation, on a joint basis, of process for procurement (long-term contracts, common pricing readjustment formula, etc.).
  
  
• Separation of equipment in main and general.

• A permanent joint committee has been established to improve codification of equipment.
  
  
• Computerised support of the codification system is under examination.
  
  
• Co-ordination and control of NATO STANAGs have been reviewed.
  
  
• Codification process and implementation of codification clause were improved, in co-operation with the General

• Application of relevant contract clauses was controlled concerning the Hellenic Added Value percentage and the quality control of materiel.
  
  
• Legal instructions were issued on quality control and verification of an Added Value percentage.
  
  
• Price lists were established for many materials for contract drafting purposes.

a. For the first time, a budget of research and technology was drafted (FY 1998) to finance research and development programmes.

b. Development programmes of defence equipment are promoted, especially in the sector of guided weapons, telecommunications and surveillance.

c. Specific research programmes are promoted in order to make the Hellenic Defence Industry and the Hellenic Research Centres capable to develop defence material.

• Further development of the above mentioned activities.
  
  
• Improvement of the technological communications and the creation of high-technology scientific units in priority areas.
  
  
• The completion of the framework of the research policy.
  
  
• The establishment of computerised infrastructure to facilitate the access of the defence industry and the various research centres in the country to technological / research data.
  
  
• Co-operation with the databases of the MODs of friendly nations.
  
  
• Further exploitation of WEAG and NATO.