DEFEA (Defence Exhibition Athens) is taking place from 09-11 May at Metropolitan Expo in Athens, Greece.
Held under the auspices of the Hellenic Ministry of National Defence, with the cooperation of the Hellenic Manufacturers Association of Defence Material, DEFEA is organised by ROTA Exhibitions Greece.
DEFEA will host special events, workshops, presentations and discussions, focused on the prospects of the Greek defence industry and to the modernisation of the Hellenic Armed Forces.
DEFEA 2023 will also emphasise on the European and NATO initiatives like the European Defence Fund (EDF Cross-Project Conference) and NATO defence innovation initiatives, such as the Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) and the NATO Innovation Fund.
More than 350 leading companies from 27 countries are participating to DEFEA 2023 to showcase the latest technologies and cutting-edge defence systems in Land, Sea, Air, National and Cyber security systems.
Furthermore, confirmed Sponsors for DEFEA 2023 include:
- Naval Group (Platinum Sponsor)
- Fincantieri (Gold Sponsor & Delegations Lounge Sponsor)
- Dassault Aviation (Gold Sponsor)
- MBDA (Gold Sponsor)
- USA Pavilion (Silver Sponsor)
- Rheinmetall (Gala Sponsor)
The Greek Defence Industry at DEFEA:
This year’s DEFEA 2023 is focused on the Greek defence industry, which with 140 exhibitors presents its upgraded capabilities to support the Armed Forces, while participating in co-productions and industrial partnerships, actively busts the overall development effort of the country.
Highlighting the capabilities of the Hellenic Defence Industry, the President of the Hellenic Manufacturers of Defense Materiel Association (SEKPY), Mr. Tassos Rozolis said: “In recent years, the domestic defence industry has taken particularly important steps to recover what it lost during the difficult years of the economic crisis. Now it presents these steps and the capabilities it has recovered, at DEFEA 2023.”
“Having left behind many of the distortions and mistakes of the past, it now focuses on a strong and healthy development with strong extroverted characteristics from which both the Greek defence companies and our country as a whole, can benefit economically and geopolitically.
In fact, the period we are going through is characterized by the intense developments in the wider region after the war in Ukraine which highlighted the need for the upgrade of the European defence industry in general. At the same time, in our country, many armament programmes worth several billion euros are under way, aiming to strengthen the Armed Forces deterence capabilities.
Thus it is even more imperative the need not only to support the Greek defence industry, but also to upgrade the country’s geopolitical stance and at the same time to contribute to the economy and development,” he added.
The importance of DEFEA 2023 is also marked by the impressive participation of the Armed Forces and the Security Authorities of the Greek state.
The Ministry of National Defence, under the auspices of which DEFEA is organised, with its active participation in the Exhibition preparation, maximizes the national benefits by inviting the political and military leaderships of friendly and allied countries.
The Ministry will also organize other conference and information events highlighting the geopolitical dimension of DEFEA. At the same time, the General Directorate of Defence Equipment and Investments, with its participation, will exploit the possibilities of international collaborations with the participating countries and industries. Furthermore, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy is also providing its auspices to DEFEA.
The Armed Forces General Staffs will have a special presence at the exhibition, presenting among others, their training activities and mainly the international exercises they organize hosting forces from allied and friendly countries. These exercises unveil the high standards of training of the Greek Armed Forces, in combination with the geographical elements, that can be utilized by friendly Armies.
At the same time, the Greek Police and the Coast Guard at their stands at the Exhibition will present their high level, both in terms of public security and safety, as well as in the currently complex issue of the protection of land and sea borders.
Battle Tanks & Armored Vehicles at DEFEA:
Some of the most modern battle tanks and armored vehicles from the European and American defence industries are on display at DEFEA 2023.
Tanks and armored vehicles have returned to the center of attention due to the extensive use in the battlefields of Ukraine, but also after the announcement of Greece’s interest in upgrading part of its armored forces. Just a few months ago, the modernization of the Leopard 2A4 entered the scope of the Greek Government, following proposals by the Supreme Military Council and the Hellenic Army General Staff. DEFEA visitors will have the opportunity to learn about developments and see up close the formidable Leopard 2A4 battle tank from Krauss Maffei Wegmann. Experts will also inform about the full range of modernization that the manufacturing company has developed. Additionally, the Leopard will be presented with the additional external active and passive armor developed by the Greek company EODH.
There is also, strong Greek interest in the AAV7A1 amphibious armored vehicles of BAE Systems, which will also be present at DEFEA 2023. Athens is interested in acquiring 76 vehicles to cover the needs of the 32nd Marine Brigade and partially replace the outdated LCVP. The Greek request has received the green light from the State Department and the Letter of Acceptance (LoA) is expected in order to start the negotiation process with the US government.
There is also particular interest in the CV90 Infantry Fighting Vehicle from BAE Systems, which will be presented in the MkIV version incorporating all the innovative technologies developed by the company. The 32-tonne IFV, built for the Swedish Armed Forces, is expected to draw attention as one of the most complete systems of its kind. The category of IFV’s is highly regarded, and of course, the KF41 Lynx from Rheinmetall Landsysteme cannot be absent from DEFEA. Lynx is already in Athens’ scope, as part of an agreement with Germany that will include the establishment of a production line in Greece.
“Philoctetes”, Nexter’s VBCI armored vehicle, will also be in Athens. Equiped with a T40 battle turret with a 40mm gun, an Akeron-MP anti-tank missile launcher from MBDA, as well as a remote-controlled weapon station with a 12.7mm machine gun, the VBCI has been presented to the Hellenic Army General Staff, while NEXTER and the Hellenic Defence Systems have signed a strategic cooperation agreement for the development of an IFV, which will cover the needs of the Greek Army.
The “Hoplite” wheeled armored vehicle will be presented in an anti-tank version armed with a 20mm gun and guided missile launchers. The manufacturer of the “Hoplite”, EODH, will also present a prototype turret for the “Leonidas” tracked vehicles that the Greek Army and the Cypriot National Guard possess.
Among the wheeled vehicles, the German ENOK (Light Armored Patrol Vehicle) by ACS Armored Car Systems stands out, as well as the larger ENOK 9.5 version and its airborne version, ENOK AB. The ENOK is an articulated tactical vehicle serving in the German Armed Forces and is based on the Mercedes G-Class chassis. One of the most interesting configurations of the vehicle is the ENOK AB Tankhunter, which is equipped with SPIKE guided missiles.
Attention will also be drawn to the wheeled self-propelled howitzer Zuzana 2 of the Slovakian Konstrukta Defense with a caliber of 155 millimeters, the anti-aircraft OERLIKON Twin Gun GDF009, as well as the ZU-23 of WB Electronics.
DEFEA-PRAXI Network Matchmaking Event (B2B)
DEFEA and PRAXI Network (Coordinator of the Enterprise Europe Network Hellas) are organising a high-profile Matchmaking Event (B2B) providing an opportunity for transnational technology, business and research partnerships in the emerging fields of Defence and Security.
The Matchmaking Event will take place on 10 and 11 May 2023, and will be free of charge for exhibitors and visitors alike.
Registration in the exhibition of DEFEA is mandatory and a prerequisite for participating in the Matchmaking Event.
PRAXI Network is the leading technology transfer and innovation support organization in Greece, bringing together 30 years of unique know-how in assisting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and research organisations throughout the country.
PRAXI Network is a unit of the Foundation for Research & Technology - Hellas (FORTH), Coordinator of the Enterprise Europe Network - Hellas, National Contact Point for Horizon Europe, the EU’s funding programme for research and innovation.
Its mission is to make Greek enterprises and research organisations more competitive by: Connecting research/academia & industry; fostering innovation and entrepreneurship; supporting/promoting transnational cooperation.
PRAXI Network is present in 5 Greek cities: Athens, Thessaloniki, Heraklion, Patras and Volos.
