Armed forces reconsider procurement priorities
An updated US proposal to sell four Littoral Combat Ships ships to Greece has reopened the debate over the Hellenic Navy’s procurement program.
The Navy has tapped the market for corvettes and the two main candidates to sell the corvettes to Greece are France’s Gowind and Italy’s Doha. It was also considering buying both the LCS ships and the corvettes, although, for the former, there were two main objections: their limited ability to engage in prolonged missions, as they were designed for short coastal patrols, and their excessive fuel consumption.
The updated US proposal calls for upgrades for the LCS ships, which will be done in Greece, most likely at Elefsis Shipyards. The cost of acquiring the four LCS is estimated at 500-600 million euros. And there are second thoughts about buying the corvettes, which would cost €1.6 to €1.8 billion, and allocating the money to other armed forces branches.
