As Turkey regularly violates the airspace and seas of Greece and plans to produce oil and gas in Crete, the Greek government plans to strengthen its defenses and is in talks with its ally France to buy two modern Belharra frigates, the National Herald reported.

The purchase was announced in October 2019, when Defense Ministers Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos and Florence Parly signed a letter of intent to purchase the ships worth EUR 750 million.

Panagiotopoulos said Greece still has a long way to go before agreeing on the configuration of the frigates, pointing out that they will not be the same as those built for the French Navy.

Greece wants to pay off the cost of purchasing the ships for EUR 300 million per year each within 10 years.

The advantages of the French ships are the technological superiority they would give Greece.

To deal with current tensions, Greece wants to make sure that its Air Force and Navy are prepared to deal with any conflict, fearing that an accidental incident could lead to war.

The government expects to buy more missiles, and deals are currently underway to support weapons systems for fighters and helicopters, as well as unmanned aerial vehicles.