Commodore Panagiotis Karavas HN was born in Athens in 1968. He was admitted to the Hellenic Naval Academy in 1986 and graduated in 1990 as Ensign of the Hellenic Navy.

His operational service includes assignments on board surface units, mainly on Frigates, as a Communications, CIC, Weapons, Executive Officer and as Commanding Officer of PB HS POLEMISTIS and FFGH HS SPETSAI (MEKO class). He has also served as Commander of Frigates Squadron One (COMHELFRIGRON ONE).

His staff assignments include Head of the Missiles Department at the Salamis Naval Base, Director of C3 (Weapons) Directorate at the Fleet Headquarters, Aid de Camp to the Chief of the Navy, Staff Officer of the Weapon Directorate (C’ Branch) at HNGS, Deputy Director of the Hellenic Navy General Staff Chief’s Executive Office, Division Director D3 International Affairs Directorate, Strategic Plans and Policy Branch at the Hellenic National Defence General Staff.  He is currently serving as the Surface Programs Director in the Hellenic Navy Armaments Directorate  of HNGS.

From 2010 to 2013 he was stationed in USA as the Hellenic National Deputy at the NATO Sea Sparrow Project Office (NSPO), also from 2017 to 2020 he was stationed as the Deputy Project Manager International of NSPO  a consortium of 12 nations.

He is a graduate of the Naval Staff Officer School, the Supreme Joint War College, the Hellenic National Defence College.

He holds two Master’s degrees one in Electrical Engineering (MSEE) and one in Applied Physics Engineering (MSAP), both obtained by the US Naval Postgraduate School (NPS).

He holds all of the Hellenic Armed Forces’ Decorations and Medals up to his rank.

He is married and has one daughter.

He speaks English fluently.