Greece’s armed forces and the Florida National Guard signed a new defense cooperation agreement in Athens on Wednesday, in the presence of Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the sixth Greece-U.S. Strategic Dialogue and provides for closer cooperation in training, joint exercises and the exchange of expertise. A particular area of interest for Greece is the U.S. experience in organizing and utilizing military reserves.
The agreement was signed by Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff (HNDGS) General Dimitrios Houpis, and Major General John Haas commander of the Florida National Guard, establishing a new direct channel of cooperation between the two sides.
Συνεδρίες του 6ου γύρου του στρατηγικού διαλόγου Ελλάδας – ΗΠΑ σε γνωστό ξενοδοχείο της Αθήνας. Τετάρτη 7 Οκτωβρίου 2026 (POOL / ΑΠΕ / ΟΡΕΣΤΗΣ ΠΑΝΑΓΙΩΤΟΥ / EUROKINISSI)
Focus on military reserves and Agenda 2030
For Athens, the agreement is also linked to the ongoing transformation of Greece’s armed forces under the country’s Agenda 2030 defense reform program.
The Greek Defense Ministry is looking for practices and models that can be incorporated into the new structure of the armed forces, with the organization and use of military reserves among the areas attracting particular interest.
Dendias said Greece aims to adopt best practices to achieve the operational capabilities it seeks for both its armed forces and its reserves.
Sessions of the 6th Round of the Greece-U.S. Strategic Dialogue at a Hotel in Athens (POOL / ANA-MPA / Orestis Panagiotou / Eurokinissi)
“The presence of the American secretary underscores, indicates and declares the close strategic relationship” between Greece and the United States, Dendias said after the signing.
He also linked Rubio’s presence in Athens to the level reached by bilateral relations.
Cooperation on natural disasters
The cooperation with Florida will extend beyond strictly military matters to the response to natural disasters.
The Florida National Guard has extensive experience dealing with extreme weather events, particularly hurricanes, while Greece has developed significant operational experience responding to earthquakes and major wildfires.
The exchange of expertise in disaster response will therefore provide another area of cooperation between the two sides.
Rubio described the agreement as another demonstration of how close the relationship between Greece and the United States has become.
The U.S. secretary of state also referred to the countries’ longstanding alliance, noting that cooperation now extends across a wide range of areas, from defense and security to the economy.
F-35s, F-16s and a broader strategic agenda
The agreement comes as defense cooperation between Athens and Washington continues to expand.
Greece is in the process of acquiring 20 F-35 fighter jets and is continuing its F-16 Viper upgrade program. Athens is also awaiting a U.S. response on upgrading 38 F-16 Block 50 aircraft to the “V” configuration.
The bilateral defense agenda also includes discussions over new weapons systems to equip Greece’s fighter aircraft.
Against this backdrop, Rubio’s visit and the sixth Strategic Dialogue have taken on added significance. The bilateral agenda has expanded well beyond defense and security to include energy, shipping, technology, trade and investment.
Defense nevertheless remains one of the central pillars of the Greece-U.S. relationship, with the new agreement adding another practical layer to military cooperation between the two countries.
