Greek Parliament Special Standing Committee on Armament Programs and Contracts approved the main armament program on June 22nd, according to the greek publication Defence Review. The green light was given for modernising the Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) RM-70 with a budget of 83 million euros and the upgrade of rockets costing 88 million euros.
According to the suggestions of the Artillery Directorate of the General Staff, about 110 RM-70 launchers were to be upgraded based on the RM-70 VAMPIRE model sd existing truck encounters malfunctioning problems.
The existing 122 mm JROF /GRAD rockets have a maximum range of 20.4 km. The primary contender for the program is the Czech Excalibur Army based on the upgrade standard RM-70 VAMPIRE to reach a range of 40.1 km with the Serbian G-2000 rocket. Yugoimport’s missiles, the G2000 and G2000/52, made their international debut at the Abu Dhabi IDEX in 2017.
The total package of modernisation of vehicles - launchers and ammunition amounts to 180 million euros.
The RM-70s are known to be deployed, especially under the command of ASDEN. ASDEN is a Corps-sized formation of the Hellenic Army deployed on the Aegean Islands. It is called “the Supreme Military Command of the Interior and Islands.” Turkiye underlines that Greece has provided heavy artillery to the region since the 1960s, which was supposed to remain demilitarised according to the 1923 Lausanne Peace Treaty.
