This move aims to strengthen the undersea component of the Hellenic Navy as a response to Turkey’s extensive naval expansion. Greek media note that Ankara is building a fleet of more than 30 frigates, submarines, unmanned vessels, and is also planning to construct an aircraft carrier, which Athens views as an increasing threat in the Aegean Sea.
Following years of stagnation, Greece has already begun naval modernisation by ordering three FDI frigates, with an option for a fourth, and negotiating the purchase of two used FREMM frigates from Italy, with the possibility of acquiring two more. However, submarines are set to form the core of Greek naval capability due to their ability to operate silently and launch cruise missiles.
Under a recently approved 20-year defence plan by the Greek Parliament and the National Security Council (KYSEA), the country intends to purchase four new submarines within the next decade. At least two of these will be configured to meet new requirements, including the capability to carry missiles with a range exceeding 1,000 kilometres.
The procurement process is expected to begin in the early 2030s, but the Hellenic Navy has already initiated discussions with potential suppliers. According to Kathimerini, Greek officials currently favour the German Type 214 submarines in a new configuration.
In parallel, Greece plans to upgrade its four Papanikolis-class submarines—based on the German Type 214 design—over the next five years. These submarines entered service between 2010 and 2016 and will undergo mid-life upgrades to bring them closer to the standard of newly built vessels.
Negotiations for the upgrade package are ongoing with Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (tkMS), which is expected to include modernisation of key systems such as electronic equipment, sensors, periscopes, sonar, and combat systems. The total cost of this effort may exceed €1 billion.
Greek industry will play a role in the modernisation, led by Scaramanga Shipyards, where three of the four Papanikolis submarines were originally constructed. The upgrade and overhaul of the first submarine is scheduled to take less than a year.
