Greek cabinet unlocks potential for ''smart'' military development

Marking the first step toward establishing the framework necessary to enable the creation of a “smart” army, the cabinet on Thursday approved the Defense Ministry’s bill on defense innovation. It essentially seeks to rectify a long-standing distortion in recent years that has kept the Hellenic Armed Forces from effectively accessing defensive innovation created in the country.

To this end, the bill provides for the establishment of the Hellenic Center for Innovation Development to support the research and development of dual use technologies and the procurement of innovative products for the Armed Forces.

Basically, it is an attempt to create an ecosystem that can supply the Armed Forces with software and, in due course, drones and microsatellites. The center will developed in line with existing standards of similar such companies operating for the US, Israeli, French and UK ministries of defense. It will be established as a public limited company, with all relevant governing bodies – 67% participation by the Hellenic State and the remaining 33% by the Hellenic Corporation of Assets and Participations.

The center will receive requests from the general staffs, which will express an operational need and will then investigate whether it can be met by the innovation ecosystem actors and propose a technological solution. This solution will then be approved by the Council of Chiefs of Staff and returned to the innovation center. The company will develop the prototype, which will be tested by the Armed Forces, which can accept, reject or suggest improvements.

The bill also calls for the modernization of the institutional framework of Higher Military Educational Institutions to convert them into centers of excellence. In this context, they will be able to confer doctorates and, potentially, implement some of them in collaboration with enterprises or industries. It also provides for the establishment of a joint information technology body for all three branches of the Armed Forces, overseen by the chief of the Armed Forces. Its aim will be to develop the digital infrastructure addressing cybersecurity challenges and to train cadres in pertinent operations. At the same time, an artificial intelligence department and a department of data analytics (big data) will also be set up.

Meanwhile, in the coming months, another bill will be introduced that will adapt military service to the Finnish model, enabling continuous retraining and provide digital skills so recruits can eventually operate the technologies that defense innovation will develop.