Shipping and Insular Policy Minister Vassilis Kikilias announced a tender for two Offshore Patrol Vessels, each more than 80 metres long and equipped with a helipad, with an option to build two additional vessels. He made the announcement at a special event held today at the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy.
The two state-of-the-art vessels form part of a strategic plan to strengthen and upgrade the operational capabilities of the Hellenic Coast Guard. The project has a total budget of €492.8m, including the option.
Mr Kikilias described the publication of the tender as an important step in the broader effort to modernise the Coast Guard, saying: “The two large offshore patrol vessels will be equipped with every kind of technological equipment and will have enormous capabilities. It is a very ambitious project, but we will deliver it, just as we did two years ago in Civil Protection, with the procurement of helicopters, aircraft, vehicles and so on, following all the required procedures and with complete transparency.”
Greek shipbuilding industry
He placed particular emphasis on the case for Greek shipbuilders to take part in the international tender, drawing on the capabilities of Greek shipyards.
“This is an open tender in which the Greek shipbuilding industry can also take part. It is a very important sector, closely linked to maritime professions. This is an issue that has caused us a great deal of pain for many decades, and our government has managed to put the sector on a path that is gradually attracting significant private-sector investment,” the minister said.
He went on to stress: “We are talking about an ecosystem built around shipping, which also encompasses tourism, cruises, high-end yachting and the energy sector. This is an ambitious plan that we must continue to promote, support and strengthen, so that we can deliver measurable results. Of course, this is an open tender in which we expect major international players to take part.”
Operational capabilities
The two new vessels will have a long operational range and be capable of operating for several days, even in adverse weather. They will be equipped with a helipad suitable for helicopters weighing up to 11 tonnes, modern surveillance and detection systems, thermal cameras, the capacity to support unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and high-speed inflatable boats for the rapid deployment of operational teams.
They will be able to take part in maritime border surveillance, search-and-rescue operations, efforts to combat migrant smuggling and contraband, and the policing of maritime activity. Their addition to the Coast Guard fleet will strengthen its operational presence in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean, as well as its ability to respond to emergencies in Greece’s island regions.
Funding and transparency
On funding for the project, the minister thanked Migration and Asylum Minister Thanos Plevris and ministry officials, saying: “This tender is funded by the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund and the Ministry of Migration. So, first of all, I would like to thank the minister, Mr Thanos Plevris, as well as all the officials at the Ministry of Migration. It is important to have the resources to support the Hellenic Coast Guard so that its officers can do their jobs.”
On the process for major public procurement projects, Mr Kikilias stressed the importance of following the required checks and transparency rules, while also taking into account feedback from the relevant services and the market. He said: “The history of Greek public tenders—with the exception of the Ministry of National Defence, where procedures differ for the sake of the country’s defence and security—shows that all other ministries are required to run procurement processes in a specific way that can take years, even more than 10 years.”
“This creates a series of problems, alongside the safeguards established by lawmakers to ensure transparency and oversight, and to protect Greek taxpayers’ money. We have not bypassed these procedures at the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, nor have we done so here. Quite the opposite. We have followed them, giving everyone—the responsible services, as well as the market—the opportunity to contribute and make observations during the public consultation. We are incorporating those comments as far as possible, in light of our actual capabilities and needs,” he added.
New tenders
Speaking about plans to modernise the Coast Guard’s technology, the minister highlighted the tender already under way for a new operations centre. He said: “Now, at the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, if there is one tender I consider critical, it is the one already under way for KEPIX, the new Operations Room. We are now working to organise it and, following the tender process, take delivery of the most advanced systems available in artificial intelligence and other cutting-edge technologies, so that we can see immediately what is happening in every part of our seas, our ports and our maritime borders.”
Finally, Mr Kikilias said new tenders to further strengthen the Coast Guard fleet would be launched soon, adding: “At the ministry, we have made a commitment to move ahead promptly with other tenders for interceptor craft of 18 metres and 30 metres, as well as anything else the service has decided it needs. One thing is certain: we will leave Coast Guard officers a very important legacy, with a large number of vessels and state-of-the-art systems.”
The tender will be conducted using the competitive dialogue procedure, under Article 41 of Law 3978/2011. The Hellenic Corporation of Assets and Participations S.A. (HCAP), through its Strategic Contracts Unit, will act as the conducting authority. The project is co-funded by the Border Management and Visa Instrument (BMVI) for 2021–2027, and the two vessels are expected to be delivered 30 months after the contract is signed.
A programme worth more than €1bn
Panagiotis Staboulidis, deputy chief executive of the National Development Fund, said: “The National Development Fund has taken on the preparation and tendering of an extensive programme to upgrade the Coast Guard’s equipment, worth more than €1bn in total, on behalf of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy.”
“Through open, transparent and competitive processes, the NDF’s Strategic Contracts Unit is drawing on the expertise and experience gained from the successful implementation of the AEGIS programme, with the aim of preparing and tendering the new projects effectively,” Mr Staboulidis added.
He concluded: “We aspire for 2027 to be a landmark year in the modernisation of the Coast Guard, as deliveries of the new equipment begin and continue into 2028. The central priority throughout this process is to safeguard the public interest and strengthen the Coast Guard’s operational readiness and effectiveness.”
The chief’s remarks
Christos Kontorouchas, chief of the Hellenic Coast Guard, said: “Good morning, Minister, Deputy Minister, secretary-generals, distinguished guests and colleagues. It is a particular pleasure for any chief of the Coast Guard to welcome such a major, landmark project to procure two 80-metre offshore patrol vessels, with an option, as has already been mentioned, for two more.”
“In my view—and I said this in my speech at the ceremony when I took over as chief—the project marks a new era for the Coast Guard. These are the procurements that will take the Coast Guard and its personnel into a new era. Beyond our traditional duties, which you all know and need not repeat, the Coast Guard of this new era will be called on to operate in offshore areas and protect critical infrastructure; to conduct search-and-rescue operations much farther afield than before, beyond the areas we have known until now—namely, near our maritime borders and close to shore. And there is much more to come, such as marine parks, where effective policing will also be needed. That is what the Coast Guard is called upon to do, and that is what we will do,” he said.
On the project’s preparation, he noted: “Preparing a project on this scale—in terms of both the size of the vessels and, above all, the financial commitment—is no small task. This is the first time the Coast Guard has tendered a project of this kind. It naturally requires coordinated action, a major effort by our personnel to develop the technical specifications, and close coordination and co-operation with the authorities, particularly HCAP, the Strategic Investments Unit and the Managing Authority. I would like to thank them from this platform.”
“We are moving forward with a plan and remain focused on our mission. The next steps, for which preparatory work is already under way, concern staffing these vessels. This is clearly linked to the broader need to increase the Coast Guard’s personnel, and you all know that the ministry and the headquarters are working in that direction. We must also develop the skills needed to make the best possible use of these vessels. These next steps are complementary, necessary and self-evident, and we will move ahead quickly on this front too. Thank you very much,” Mr Kontorouchas concluded.
Also present at the ceremony were Deputy Shipping and Insular Policy Minister Stefanos Gikas; Secretary-General for Shipping and Ports Manolis Koutoulakis; Secretary-General for the Aegean and Insular Policy Fotis Maggos; Piraeus Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Vassilis Korkidis; Skaramangas Shipyards vice-president and chief executive Miltiadis Varvitsiotis; representatives of the Hellenic Chamber of Shipping, Hellenic Shipyards and the shipping community; the Hellenic Coast Guard deputy chiefs, Vice Admirals Fotios Kiamos and Drakoulis Kouvaris; and senior and top-ranking Coast Guard officers.