The recent directive from the Minister of National Defense, Nikos Dendias, which unexpectedly ordered General Staff Chief General Dimitrios Houpis to conduct extraordinary evaluations in the Armed Forces for the ranks of Lieutenant General and Major General, Rear Admiral and Vice Admiral in the Navy, and Air Marshal and Air Vice Marshal, reflects a change in the overall perception regarding official duties, responses to modern operational demands, and the hierarchical development of permanent personnel in the Armed Forces.
Future and Outcome
Although nothing initially foreshadowed yesterday’s developments, Minister of National Defense Nikos Dendias gave a glimpse of the upcoming changes early yesterday morning at the Military Academy of Evelpidon. Among other things, he remarked that “The world is rife with geopolitical challenges. It is filled with instability. Complete instability is the new constant.” “We must, therefore, prepare for a Greece that will live in a world of continuously increasing challenges,” Dendias continued. This was followed by three consecutive sessions of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Council (JCSC) in the following hours, resulting in promotions and notable retirements.
Noteworthy Retirements
Specifically, among the senior executives who were retired are:
- Fleet Commander Polychronis Koulouris
- Commander of the Special Warfare Command Prokopios Mavraganis
- Army Corps Commander Dimokritos Konstantakos
- General Inspector of the Army Spyridon Alfadakis
In total, apart from the most prominent figures, 47 senior officers were retired, and the positions of Lieutenant General and Major General, along with their equivalents in other branches, were reduced by 23 as part of the implementation of the New Armed Forces Structure. This structure, approved by the Greek Parliament and the Government Council for Foreign Affairs and Defense (KYSEA), aims to streamline human resources. Specifically, 22 senior officers were retired from the Army, 8 from the Navy, and 8 from the Air Force. According to sources, this process is expected to continue with evaluations at lower ranks as new Supreme Councils are formed in the Army, Navy, and Air Force to initiate the necessary procedures.
Criteria and Necessity for Early Evaluations
The early evaluations, conducted two months ahead of the usual schedule, were driven by two main factors: the surplus number of senior officers compared to other nations and the need to address new operational requirements outlined in the New Armed Forces Structure. The reorganization of formations and units across Greece through planned mergers and the increased skillsets required under the new armament program demand more from senior executives, particularly at the top levels. Moreover, the Pentagon is at a pivotal point, anticipating radical changes such as the creation of new service structures, including joint air defense support for the dual dome and the integration of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and autonomous systems across all branches.
When asked about the urgency of these evaluations, Minister of National Defense Nikos Dendias described it as a “necessary step,” emphasizing that “The Greek Armed Forces suffer from a kind of hypertrophy that is completely incompatible with the Agenda 2030. To put it figuratively, the Greek Army cannot have more senior officers than the U.S. Army, which is twenty times larger.” “Nor can it maintain more military camps,” Dendias continued, concluding that “Within the framework of Agenda 2030, rationalization is essential, and it needed to happen as soon as possible to advance the modernization of the Armed Forces.”
Here is the English translation, preserving the structure and using the closest idioms and terms:
Detailed results of the three consecutive sessions of the Council of Chiefs of General Staff (SAGF):
The SAGF, during the 1st Session of the year 2025, ruled as follows:
1. In the Army
a. Retained in active service:
Lieutenant Generals
- Lieutenant General (Engineers) Koronakis Andreas
- Lieutenant General (Artillery) Papastathopoulos Stavros
- Lieutenant General (Infantry) Theodorou Emmanouil
- Lieutenant General (Artillery) Sardellis Athanasios
- Lieutenant General (Engineers) Klouvas Michail
- Lieutenant General (Infantry) Vakentis Dimitrios
- Lieutenant General (Armor) Garinis Athanasios
Major Generals (Arms)
- Major General (Infantry) Manouras Georgios
- Major General (Infantry) Kavidopoulos Panagiotis
- Major General (Infantry) Boundliakis Grigorios
- Major General (Artillery) Polychronos Anastasios
- Major General (Signals) Bouras Ioannis
- Major General (Armor) Karamanidis Konstantinos
- Major General (Infantry) Tyligadas Sarantis
- Major General (Infantry) Gakis Konstantinos
- Major General (Armor) Theodosiadis Antonios
- Major General (Infantry) Kogiannis Spyridon
- Major General (Artillery) Gavouras Achilles
- Major General (Engineers) Panousis Georgios
- Major General (Infantry) Arabatzis Dimitrios
- Major General (Artillery) Korres Ioannis
- Major General (Engineers) Giannakakis Efthymios
- Major General (Signals) Tsakanias Emmanouil
- Major General (Infantry) Ploumis Michail
- Major General (Artillery) Dimoulas Anastasios
- Major General (Infantry) Kapralos Georgios
- Major General (Armor) Kostakis Ilias
- Major General (Engineers) Gretsas Nikolaos
- Major General (Infantry) Drosos Dimitrios
- Major General (Infantry) Tsamis Vasileios
- Major General (Armor) Kostoulas Ioannis
- Major General (Infantry) Chatzis Emmanouil
Major Generals (Corps)
- Major General (EM) Saplaouras Athanasios
- Major General (EM) Tavoulari Sotirios
- Major General (Logistics) Andriotis Ioannis
- Major General (Medical) Dimitrakopoulos Georgios
b. Honorably retired:
Lieutenant Generals
- Lieutenant General (Infantry) Konstantakos Dimokritos
- Lieutenant General (Artillery) Alfantakis Spyridon
- Lieutenant General (Infantry) Bolomytis Dimitrios
- Lieutenant General (Infantry) Mavraganis Prokopios
Major Generals (Arms)
- Major General (Infantry) Chatzigeorgiou Theodoros
- Major General (Armor) Ziotopoulos Christos
- Major General (Infantry) Iliopoulos Aristidis
- Major General (Artillery) Kolokotronis Konstantinos
- Major General (Infantry) Giannopoulos Nikolaos
- Major General (Artillery) Petroulias Dimitrios
- Major General (Signals) Kesopoulos Dimitrios
- Major General (Artillery) Moustakis Ioannis
- Major General (Artillery) Tsoulouvis Apostolos
- Major General (Infantry) Korelis Ioannis
- Major General (Infantry) Vasilopoulos Vasileios
- Major General (Infantry) Kontos Athanasios
- Major General (Engineers) Theodoropoulos Konstantinos
- Major General (Air Defense Artillery) Cheimarios Ioannis
- Major General (Artillery) Tyropanis Nikolaos
Major Generals (Corps)
- Major General (Finance) Ouroumidis Georgios
- Major General (EM) Politis Konstantinos
- Major General (Ordnance) Kadoglou Athanasios
2. In the Navy
a. Retained in active service:
- Vice Admiral Sassiakos Christos HN
- Vice Admiral (Engineering) Dimitroglou Panagiotis HN
- Rear Admiral Mikropoulos Theodoros HN
- Rear Admiral Lagaras Spyridon HN
- Rear Admiral Anagnostopoulos Leonidas HN
- Rear Admiral Gryparis Vasileios HN
- Rear Admiral (Engineering) Vasilogiannakopoulos Vasileios HN
- Rear Admiral (Medical) Moraitis Sotirios HN
b. Honorably retired:
- Vice Admiral Koulouris Polychronis HN
- Rear Admiral Vlachos Konstantinos HN
- Rear Admiral Floros Georgios HN
- Rear Admiral Botsas Fotios HN
- Rear Admiral Chatzopoulos Theocharis HN
- Rear Admiral Angouras Georgios HN
- Rear Admiral (Engineering) Tsamilis Sotirios HN
- Rear Admiral (Ordnance) Skrekas Georgios HN
3. In the Air Force
a. Retained in active service:
- Air Marshal (Pil.) Georgakopoulos Panagiotis
- Air Marshal (Maint.) Kleniatis Konstantinos
- Air Vice Marshal (Pil.) Bouzos Konstantinos
- Air Vice Marshal (Pil.) Kotsakis Ioannis
- Air Vice Marshal (Pil.) Broumas Vasileios
- Air Vice Marshal (Pil.) Kokkonis Nikolaos
- Air Vice Marshal (Pil.) Asimakopoulos Ioannis
- Air Vice Marshal (Pil.) Christodoulou Georgios
- Air Vice Marshal (Pil.) Bantouvas Marios
- Air Vice Marshal (Pil.) Tzovaras Konstantinos-Savvas
- Air Vice Marshal (Weapons Systems) Fanaras Dimitrios
- Air Vice Marshal (Air Support) Sourris Diamantis
- Air Vice Marshal (Logistics) Georgiadis Georgios
- Air Vice Marshal (Medical) Siafakas Konstantinos
b. Honorably retired:
- Air Marshal (Pil.) Zolotas Konstantinos
- Air Marshal (Pil.) Chortis Apostolos
- Air Vice Marshal (Pil.) Tourvalis Evangelos
- Air Vice Marshal (Pil.) Komitoudis Alexandros
- Air Vice Marshal (Pil.) Karampitianis Grigorios
- Air Vice Marshal (Pil.) Tosios Vasileios
- Air Vice Marshal (Maint.) Delis Georgios
- Air Vice Marshal (Weapons Systems) Rouggos Ioannis
4. In the Joint Corps of Military Judicial Clerks
Honorably retired: Major General (Judicial Clerk) Vlachogiannis Dimitrios.
SAGE, during the 2nd Session of the Year 2025, decided as follows:
1. In the Army
Promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General, to fill vacant positions, the following:
a. Major General (Infantry) Manouras Georgios
b. Major General (Infantry) Kavidopoulos Panagiotis
c. Major General (Infantry) Bountliakis Grigorios
2. In the Navy
Promoted to the rank of Vice Admiral, to fill a vacant position: Rear Admiral Mikropoulos Theodoros HN.
3. In the Air Force
Promoted to the rank of Air Marshal, to fill vacant positions, the following:
a. Air Vice-Marshal (Pilot) Bouzos Konstantinos
b. Air Vice-Marshal (Pilot) Kotsakis Ioannis
SAGE, during the 3rd Session of the Year 2025, decided as follows:
1. In the Navy
a. Promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral, to fill vacant positions, the following:
(1) Captain Papageorgiou Panagiotis HN
(2) Captain Alevras Spyridon HN
(3) Captain Karlatiras Stavros HN
(4) Captain (Ordnance) Palaskas Dimitrios HN
b. “Honorably retired from service,” the following:
(1) Captain Gounaris Dimitrios HN
(2) Captain Tsoukas Vasilios HN
(3) Captain (Engineer) Zafeiriou Nikolaos HN
2. In the Air Force
a. Promoted to the rank of Air Vice-Marshal, to fill vacant positions, the following:
(1) Brigadier General (Pilot) Kanoupakis Matthaios
(2) Brigadier General (Pilot) Karoubalis Spyridon
(3) Brigadier General (Pilot) Kaligaridis Angelos
(4) Brigadier General (Pilot) Chatzigeorgiou Ioannis
(5) Brigadier General (Technical Corps) Kakkavas Konstantinos
b. “Honorably retired from service,” the following:
(1) Brigadier General (Pilot) Fortis Georgios
(2) Brigadier General (Pilot) Zampoulakis Emmanouil
(3) Brigadier General (Pilot) Karavlidis Konstantinos
(4) Brigadier General (Pilot) Giaprakas Nikolaos
3. In the Joint Corps of Military Judicial Clerks
“Honorably retired from service”: Brigadier General (Judicial Clerks) Dimitriou Evangelos.
Ask me anything
Explore related questions
