In wartime, the Greek merchant marine, possessing one of the largest fleets of peacetime vessels in the world, would make an important contribution to NATO combat operations in the eastern Mediterranean. In 1990 NATO combat contingency plans called for 780 Greek merchant ships to be activated for military transport duty compared with 626 for the United States. This disparity is largely because Western shipping is increasingly configured for container transport, but most types of military equipment cannot be containerized. Thus Greece's large number of break-bulk ships and ferries would be very valuable in transporting military vehicles and helicopters. In 1992 the estimated capacity of the merchant marine was 85,000 passengers and 15,000 vehicles, and the fleet undergoes continuous modernization. The Ministry of Merchant Marine actively supported UN forces in the 1991 Persian Gulf War with immediate transport of fuel and equipment.

Data as of December 1994

NOTE: The information regarding Greece on this page is re-published from The Library of Congress Country Studies and the CIA World Factbook. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Greece The Merchant Marine information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Greece The Merchant Marine should be addressed to the Library of Congress and the CIA.