First contract for EAS in years

The contract, the first for EAS in four years, was signed on behalf of the company by CEO Sotiris Christogiannis and on behalf of the National Defence ministry by Dimitris Georgiopoulos, head of the directorate for defence armaments and investments (GDAEE). Defence minister Dimitris Avramopoulos and alternate minister Fofi Gennimata attended the ceremony. 

Avramopoulos said the agreement "is a significant step towards the restructure and viability of the Hellenic Defence Systems and an additionally strong message of recovery, development and progress of the Greek economy," adding that "we only have a few months ahead of us to prove and reaffirm in Parliament our public commitment that EAS can and must be saved."

Gennimata said that "after four years of the agreement's stalling, the coordinated efforts of the new EAS management, the general staffs, the relevant directorate and the ministry's political leadership are bearing fruit."

It must be noted that EAS is the last licensed manufacturer of 40mm shells used in the ubiquitous Bofors 40mm gun, still in service with many armies, and the USAF aboard AC-130 gunships.