Minister of National Defence N. Dendias attends ceremony for signing donation contract for construction of new facilities for the 5th Wing of Hellenic Air Force Academy.

Minister of National Defence N. Dendias attends ceremony for signing donation contract for construction of new facilities for the 5th Wing of Hellenic Air Force Academy.

July 21, 2026

The Minister of National Defence, Nikos Dendias, today Tuesday 21 July 2026, attended the ceremony for the signing of a donation contract for the construction of new facilities for the 5th Wing of the Hellenic Air Force Academy, held at the Hellenic Air Force Academy Auditorium "Lieutenant (Pilot) Nikolaos Salmas".

The construction works of the new infrastructure of the 5th Wing of the Hellenic Air Force Academy are being carried out through a donation by honorary Rear Admiral Panagiotis Laskaridis HN, CEO of Lavinia Corp. Laskaridis Shipping Co.Ltd. and President of the "Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation".

The contract was signed by the Hellenic Air Force School Commandant Major General Ioannis Karamanis and donor Panagiotis Laskaridis.

The ceremony marks the beginning of a new project which will provide for the cadets' living conditions and training. The new two-storey cadet dormitory, of a total area of around 4,000 m² is planned to feature 128 beds (64 on each floor), as well as specially designed study spaces. The project's expected cost is close to 4,5 million euros. It is high quality infrastructure, environmentally friendly, and in accordance with modern energy saving guidelines.

The Minister of National Defence stated in his address:

"Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff,

Chiefs of General Staffs,

Honorary Admiral Panagiotis Laskaridis, you will henceforth allow me, dear Panos,

Commandant of the Hellenic Air Force Academy, General Officers, Dean, Officers,

Non Commissioned Officers and dear guests, Honorary Chiefs, ladies and gentlemen.

Dear Cadets, I address you, since I cannot remember if I have had the opportunity to address you in person before. It is a great joy and honour to be here today, in order to sign the construction contract for the new infrastructure of the 5th Wing of the Hellenic Air Force Academy.

You will allow me to address you cordially. Firstly, I would like to say a few words about the Admiral, Mr. Laskaridis. His humility is such, that he is displeased when all he has contributed is repeated. Besides the ships "Atlas", "Herakles", "Ajax", "Perseus", "Kyknos", the donation to the Athens Naval Hospital, and much more, comes the addition of this donation.

I thank him from my heart. For his example mainly. An example which repeats itself in time, and which motivates other people to contribute.

The country, throughout its history, the Nation in its history, Greece, throughout history have chosen, rightly - according to me - a different paradigm of defending the Country, the complete responsibility of this defence. For this very reason national service exists.

For, since we are a minority, both in Europe and the world, we maintain a citizen army. This has a deeply educational character. We are all jointly responsible for the Country's Defence, irrespective of age and financial condition.

The Admiral, Mr. Laskaridis actively demonstrates it, by supporting this effort, not only in his narrow confines which, in any case, one could consider him, due to his contact with the sea, having an emotional investment in.

Today, by this donation, whose amount I heard from the Chief HAFGS, since I know the construction costs, I am afraid, and I warn Mr. Laskaridis, that completion costs will considerably exceed estimates. Yet, I am convinced that he will do it, while feeling that the work itself matters, and that the joy is even greater. When designed back then, the cost of construction per square metre was around 1,500 euros. It has much exceeded that, and I now know that he is doing it very gladly, and the project's quality will be excellent. Therefore, I estimate around 60 - 70 % more for the final price than what I heard, dear Panos. I give my warm thanks to Mr. Laskaridis.

Let me now return to a broader topic, which I will touch, since I have the opportunity of addressing the Cadets.

The Country will not survive without adequate Armed Forces, it is no matter of a political choice or otherwise, it is an existential need.

This existential need cannot be served if the human beings serving it have no absolute sense of the duty they are fulfilling, and no absolute sense of the moral superiority this duty instils within.

The Admiral, Mr. Laskaridis previously expressed it courteously, so you will allow me to repeat it "expressis verbis". It is not the same going to my legal practice or to any other job, when compared to someone who dons a uniform each morning to defend their Country. It is not the same. It is not valued the same. We live in a society which levels differences. Yet, in this field it cannot be allowed to occur. In order to have a sense of this supererogatory duty and this supererogatory mission, the Country must create this environment for you, one that gives you a sense of its seriousness, and of this superior duty.

This, I am afraid to say, perhaps due to the financial crisis which has lasted for more than ten years, but also in part due to the prioritisation the State has set throughout History, has not occurred.

Yet, we have definitely decided that this is going to change. I have, naturally, prioritised out of the ever scarce resources your housing, that is, the capability of each member of our Personnel, when transferred to a place not of his choosing, to acquire keys to a house, which will allow him or her to find a home alongside their family.

We have already announced the 60 million euros housing programme for the rest of the year. You may be aware, if I recall well, that we have completed 400 or so houses, and by the end of '26 we will have completed 800 more.

In these 60 million are not only included houses, out of the Housing Programme of 17,000 houses, there are also childcare centres as well as kindergartens, in order for the military family to be able to have children, without the anxieties of having to care for them while on duty.

Our ambition is, and I hope, or rather I am certain this ambition will be fulfilled, that in 2030 the country will field the most modern Armed Forces in its history, the most powerful ones in its history and, dare I say, they most modern ones in Europe.

As we speak, we have reached a good position, yet we have some way to go. Especially through incorporating novel technologies, UASs. Two days ago, alongside the Chiefs, we inaugurated the Air Force Unmanned UAS Training Centre in Tripoli.

You, your generation, will serve this need, which nonetheless gives us a wide array of possibilities. If we do not incorporate modern technologies, we will not be able to respond to our mission; which we will do with great rapidity, since we have been left behind, and the threat has moved much faster than us.

So, to complete this train of thought, all this is meaningless if people who serve do not enjoy this feeling of superiority, which the supreme duty they are fulfilling gives them.

In order to feel this feeling of superiority, the Country, the Government, and also the Society of Citizens, whatever way it is expressed, must allow you to live and work in these installations, which in turn express the feeling of superiority.

The reason I prioritised the change in the façade of the Ministry of National Defence, is not because it concerns me, I will be there yet for a limited period. It is because this feeling must be radiated towards society. It must be radiated towards our young visitors, our foreign visitors, all who come to visit us.

All of us in the military line of employment have to acquire the feeling that is the most important thing which concerns the country.

Cadets, I am very proud of you and he choice you made. Thank you very much".

The ceremony was also attended by the Chief HNDGS, General Dimitrios Choupis, the Chief HAGS, Lieutenant General Georgios Kostidis, the Chief HNGS, Vice Admiral Dimitrios - Eleftherios Kataras, the Chief HAFGS, Lieutenant General Dimosthenis Grigoriadis, Honorary Chiefs of the Navy and Air Force General Staffs, Chiefs of the Fleets, the Dean of the Hellenic Air Force Academy, Dr. Roussos Papagiannakis, the donor, honorary Rear Admiral Panagiotis Laskaridis HN, active and retired general and senior Officers, Professors, Military and Civilian Personnel, Academy Cadets, Presidents of Unions and Associations, as well as other guests.