Athens aims to produce 15,000 drones a year, Dendias warns of new threats

During a visit to Xanthi, in the region of Thrace near the border with Turkey, Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias said that Greece plans to increase its annual drone production to 15,000 units. The initiative is linked to the modernization of the Armed Forces and their adaptation to new forms of warfare.

Dendias visited the military unit where unmanned aerial vehicles are produced and announced that the current capacity of the Greek military is around 5,000 drones per year. According to him, once the new 309 factory is completed, which is expected to be inaugurated in December, this capacity will triple, reaching 15,000 drones annually. This figure does not include production by private companies in Greece’s defense industry.

Athens considers this development a major change compared with the end of 2023, when the Armed Forces had only two HERON-class drones and 252 industrially produced aircraft at their disposal, which were not particularly competitive.

The Greek minister stressed that drones are no longer used solely for surveillance and reconnaissance, as they can also be deployed in offensive operations. At the same time, he said, capabilities to defend against drones belonging to a country that could threaten Greece must also be strengthened, without naming any state. Meanwhile, the Greek military is building 522 new fortifications, with the work expected to be completed by 2030.