In Geopolitics Today - Wednesday, September 29th
Greece Secures Major Defence Deal with France and North Korea Joins Hypersonic Missile Race
Greece Secures Major Defence Agreement with France
Greece has announced a major defence agreement with France. The deal involves the purchase of six to eight French-built warships by Greece, and is accompanied by a perhaps more significant strategic defence partnership with France. The Agreement seals a defence agreement between the two countries, and is the latest step in a military build-up for Greece in countering Turkey. Both leaders emphasized the value of the partnership in terms of deepened European defence cooperation, and made note of the Sahel, the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and the Balkans as areas where joint military action could take place.
Included in the agreement is a $5bn arms deal for three Belharra frigates and three Gowind corvettes, with an option for Greece to purchase one more of each. Delivery of the warships is expected by 2026, with the first frigate estimated to arrive as early as 2024. On top of that, Athens is also expected to make a purchase of six Rafale fighter jets in the near future. But what will allay Greek fears more than the military assets purchased as part of the deal is the wording of Article 2 of the agreement, within which is specified a mutual defence assistance clause in the event of attack on one of the two countries.
The deal significantly alters the balance of power in the Eastern Mediterranean. Now, Greece is better shielded against threats from Turkey, and will therefore be able to more effectively deter Turkey. The vessels Greece is to receive are cutting edge technology weapons as well, able strike targets at distances of roughly 200km. But the agreement is much more than just an arms sale, the language of the agreement stipulated that it is a deal which is strategic in nature. Greece is now backed by major nuclear-capable power which is a permanent member of the UN Security Council.
Read more about this story here.
North Korea Joins Hypersonic Missile Race
North Korea has announced a successful conclusion to its first public test launch of a hypersonic missile. A test of the Hwasong-8 missile is said to have been conducted by the Academy of Defense Science on Tuesday, and the missile is reported to have been fired from North Korea’s east coast towards the Sea of Japan. Hypersonic missiles are very difficult to track and intercept, so if North Korea succeeds in developing a hypersonic missile, the country could outmatch most regional missile defences.
The Hwasong-8 missile is said to have met the technical targets of its test, which included the guiding manoeuvrability and gliding flight of hypersonic warhead. While hypersonic missile capability would be a massive boost to Pyongyang, the Hwasong-8 is likely at a very early stage of development, and will likely take time to be developed into a deployed and operational weapon. Nevertheless, North Korea is steadily improving its missile capabilities, as well as its ability to fire from mobile launch platforms.
If North Korea is successful in developing a hypersonic missile, Pyongyang would be in possession of a weapon that can change the strategic landscape on the Korean Peninsula because it could outmatch the various missile defence systems currently deployed by South Korea, Japan and the United States. Moreover, hypersonic weapon technologies are at the forefront of military research by major military powers. China, Russia, and the US are all developing their own hypersonic missiles, such a weapon in Pyongyang’s hands could shift strategic calculations across the region for all major and minor players.
Read more about this story here.