Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias was particularly critical of the letter from U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, which referenced a number of weapon systems, vehicles, and warships the U.S. intends to provide to Greece. Dendias expressed his concerns on December 14, 2024 during his speech in the Hellenic Parliament on the draft bill for the “Ratification of the State Budget for the Fiscal Year 2025”.
Responding to questions from Parliamentary Representatives of the Parties, the Minister of National Defense made notable remarks regarding the United States and the Blinken letter. He also emphasized the unsuitability of the proposed LCS vessels (Freedom Class) for the Hellenic Navy, stating:
“As far as the agreement with the United States is concerned, I am proud of the two military agreements with the United States that bear my signature, as well as the agreements with France and the UAE. The agreements with the United States, ladies and gentlemen, put Alexandroupolis on the map. And this is absolutely essential for national reasons, as you all know, and there is no disputing that.
The United States has honored what was outlined in these agreements, colleagues. Do you know what they did not honor? What is outlined in the Blinken letter. What Secretary of State Blinken wrote to the Prime Minister was not honored by the United States, and I said so plainly. And for this, neither the Greek Government, nor the Greek Prime Minister, nor our country bears any responsibility.
They mentioned LCS and proposed LCS vessels to us without fixing the propulsion system. It would have been absurd to accept them! And, on top of that, with a requirement to pay 50 million for each of them? No. A thousand times no. And you would have made the same decision I did.”
– Nikos Dendias, Defense Minister of Greece during his speech at the Parliament on December 14, 2024
Blinken’s Letter and Its Aftermath
The Greek Defense Minister publicly addressed the potential acquisition of second-hand LCS vessels for the first time in February 2024, just days after receiving Secretary Blinken’s letter on January 27, 2024. Speaking to journalist Olga Tremi for the Newsbomb.gr website, he referred to these ships as corvettes and stated:
“These ships require additional systems. We are examining whether we can install them. We have made it clear that we are only interested in these ships if they are offered as a free transfer. And only as an interim solution until we finalize our choice for the next-generation frigate.”
– Interview with Nikos Dendias, Greece’s Defense Minister, by Olga Tremi (Newsbomb)
Note that five Freedom-class ships have been retired to date with the lead ship, USS Freedom, facing the most issues due to being the first in the class and undergoing exhaustive testing. The US Navy stated that USS Freedom required costly renovations that made it impractical to keep the vessel in service.The other decommissioned ships, all retired in 2023, include the USS Milwaukee, USS Detroit, USS Little Rock, and USS Sioux City, all of which were reportedly rejected by the Hellenic Navy due to issues with their propulsion systems and the high overhaul costs.
Later, in October 2024, during an interview with journalist Vasilis Nedos for Kathimerini tis Kyriakis newspaper, the Minister expressed disappointment with the progress regarding the acquisition of second-hand LCS vessels, stating:
“Unfortunately, while the U.S. side had given assurances about reliable LCS vessels, they are ultimately offering LCS ships with numerous problems. Therefore, we are only discussing the free transfer of reliable LCS vessels, with no conversion needs or costs. Under this condition, if they are provided to us, they will serve as surface units for the Hellenic Navy.“
– Interview with Nikos Dendias, Greece’s Defense Minister, by Vasilis Nedos (Kathimerini tis Kyriakis)
Author’s comments
Based on the Minister’s statements and the highlighted issue regarding the propulsion of the proposed LCS for transfer, Naval News believes that discussions for the transfer of LCS from the U.S. to Greece will continue between the two parties. The Greek MoD is expected to continue advocating for upgraded LCS variants, although the possibility of the discussions collapsing entirely cannot be ruled out. Undoubtedly, the LCS vessels — including those with fixed propulsion systems—will require a substantial investment of resources and effort to achieve the capabilities of a competent surface combatant. Integrating these ships into Greece’s Fleet poses a considerable challenge.
