The Minister of National Defence Mr Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos responded today, Wednesday 12 May 2021, to a topical question of the Aetoloacarnania MP from the “Movement for Change” party Mr Dimitrios Konstantopoulos on the subject: “Repeated injustices in the credit points allocation system of Armed Forces personnel serving in the Aktio Air Base”.

NIKOLAOS PANAGIOTOPOULOS: “Bear in mind that the issue, as mentioned by the MP posing the question, has already been analysed through the process of Parliamentary Control with a plain question. Of course you have submitted questions, you have expressed your interest. It was good of you to do that and I have already responded since 14 December 2020 that the issue of updating the credit points allocation system of the Units and Services of the Armed Forces is being examined overall. Not per Unit, but at an Inter-service level under the coordination of HNDGS.

In this context proposals by the Hellenic Air Force General Staff have been included regarding Aktio FOB, the former Air Base which is now FOB in the context of NATO Force Structure. Therefore, we have to focus on the fact that the issue of credit points allocation is not being examined per Unit, case by case, but overall, in an integrated way. I believe that this is the right way.

Our goal was and still is to find the best possible solution so as to achieve the reformation of the current credit points allocation framework, aiming of course to the just and equal treatment of all the Armed Forces members.

You can understand that the issue of the Aktio FOB personnel cannot be managed separately from the overall effort for an integrated objective institutional framework of credit points allocation. I further have to report that for the pertinent overall issue of credit points allocation there are questions in the context of Parliamentary Control approximately for all the country’s geographic provinces, including Ioannina, since an MP from Ioannina read today the morning reports.

However, I assure you that the credit points allocation of Aktio FOB will not be overlooked. Apparently a pertinent arrangement will be made, an adjustment in the spirit of equality and justice. In any case, you understand that the overall framework has been classified as secret by the General Staffs and consequently I cannot expand further. However I am at your disposal (as I always was), as well as the services of the Ministry of National Defence, to brief you on any developments.

During the summer we are planning to submit, for examination by the Parliament, an overall Bill regulating various outstanding career issues which directly effect the advancement of the Armed Forces members. I would say a Bill focused on personnel issues, within the busy schedule and obligations of the Ministry and I think that in this framework we aim to regulate overall the issue of credit points allocation including outstanding matters and warped conditions found within.

Thank you”.

Rebuttal

During his rebuttal the Minister of National Defence stressed the following:

NIKOLAOS PANAGIOTOPOULOS: “I think that it is generally accepted that last year all of the Armed Forces, of course, but also the General Staffs managed an extended National crisis, which arose from the tension with the neighbouring country and consequently their attention was focused on that and on something else, the great effort for the upgrade of the Armed Forces assets, meaning material assets and personnel.

Its stands to reason that our interventions focused, first of all, on the upgrade of assets. Especially regarding the Air Force, the last 18 months were emblematic, crucial for its future, since in that period we solved the issue of “Mirage 2000-5” support with spare parts which now enjoy a rather unhindered flow after 2012, when the follow on support Contract had expired. We went through with the programme for the upgrade of F-16 to the Viper version, pertaining to the main body of the fleet of our Fighters.

Despite previous delays, we proceeded to the acquisition of eighteen “Rafale” aircraft with rapid procedures never seen before in Greece, bearing in mind that this constituted a national and operational necessity.

We solved the problem of the future – meaning the training of the Hellenic Air Force Academy students – with the foundation of an International Training Centre in Kalamata, in cooperation with an Israeli company which undertook the project. We set the foundations for a very positive future for the Hellenic Air Force. Of course more interventions must be made, not solely in this service but in the others too, regarding personnel. One of them is the overall upgrade of the credit points allocation system. We acknowledge that this must be done. I told you that it will be arranged through the Bill which we will submit for the members’ career issues.

I also stated that from 31 March of the current year, the new updated proposals by HNDGS have been submitted, not exclusively on credit points allocation of Aktio FOB, but for the new system in general. I remind you that some months ago I had the opportunity to visit Preveza and to witness first hand the concern of the people, among other things. Rumors were circulating that the Aktio Air Base would be decommissioned and then I stated, and repeated several times in public, that the Aktio Air Base will not be decommissioned, that on the contrary it will be upgraded, since there is high interest at the level of NATO structures regarding its upgrade, due to its location and strategic significance. That is why it was turned into a FOB (Forward Operating Base) in the context of NATO structure. Therefore, this danger has passed, which was causing the concern of a part of the personnel. The concern was however unjustified and the foundations are set for this Air Base’s further upgrade due to its significance.

Now the concerns have moved on to the career issues. I told you that they will be regulated and soon, given our legislative intervention planned in the summer. Of course it depends on many conditions, but this is our planning and we usually manage to operate within our set timelines. As a result, although there are warped conditions, they will be regulated, but the issue of credit points allocation is an overall issue that does not solely concern that Unit, but all of the Armed Forces and our intention is to regulate it massively and for the benefit of the people serving in the Armed Forces.

Thank you”.