Hellenic Air Force

Balkan Wars and aftermath

Airco De Havilland D.H.9 bomber of the Hellenic Naval Air Service in Izmir/Smyrna (1919)

On October 5, 1912, Kamberos flew the first combat mission, a reconnaissance flight over Thessaly.This was the first day of the Balkan wars, and during the same day a similar mission was flown by German mercenaries in Ottoman service in the Thrace front against the Bulgarians.The Greek and the Ottoman mission flown during the same day are the first military aviation combat missions in a conventional war.As a matter of fact all Balkan countries used military aircraft and foreign mercenaries during the Balkan Wars. January 24, 1913 saw the first naval co-operation war mission worldwide, which took place above the Dardanelles. Aided by the destroyer Velos, first Lieutenant Michael Moutoussis and Ensign Aristeidis Moraitinis flew the Maurice Farman hydroplane and drew up a diagram of the positions of the Turkish fleet, against which they dropped four bombs. This was not the first air-to-surface bombing in military history as there was a precedent in the Turkish Italian war of 1911, but the first recorded attack against ships from the air.

Initially, the Hellenic Army and the Royal Hellenic Navy operated separate Army Aviation and Naval Aviation units. During the Balkan Wars, various French Henry and Maurice Farman aircraft types were in use. Naval Aviation was officially founded in 1914 by the then CinC of the Hellenic Navy, British Admiral Mark Kerr. Greek aviation units participated in World War I and the Asia Minor Campaign, equipped by the Allies with a variety of French and British designs.

In 1930, the Aviation Ministry was founded, establishing the Air Force as the third branch of the Armed Forces. The Hellenic Army Air Service and Hellenic Naval Air Service were amalgamated into a single service, the Hellenic Air Force. In 1931 the Hellenic Air Force Academy, the Scholi Ikaron (Σχολή Ικάρων), was founded.

In 1939, an order for 24 Marcel Bloch MB.151 fighter aircraft was placed, but only 9 of the aircraft reached Greece, since the outbreak of World War II prevented the French from completing the order. The aircraft served in the 24th Pursuit Squadron (MD – Moira Dioxis) of the then Hellenic Royal Air Force.

World War II and Civil War

Drawing of a PZL P.24, the main Greek fighter in the Greco-Italian War. The Δ120 means that the plane belonged at Marinos Mitralexis

During the Second World War, although being severely outnumbered, counting only 79 aircraft against the 380 fighters and bombers available to the Italian Regia Aeronautica,^[9] RHAF managed to successfully resist the Italian invasion in 1940. On November 2, 1940, a Breguet 19 intercepted the 3 Alpine Division Julia while it was penetrating Pindos mountain range and moving on to occupy Metsovo. At the same day, Second Lieutenant Marinos Mitralexis, being out of ammunition, aimed the nose of his PZL P.24 (his aircraft imaged below from the paragraph title in mobile version) right into an enemy Cant Z1007bis tail, smashing the rudder and sending the bomber out of control.^[10] However, after 65 days of war, the RHAF had lost 31 officers killed and seven wounded, plus four NCOs killed and five wounded. Meanwhile, the number of combat aircraft had dropped to 28 fighters and seven battleworthy bombers. ^[11] Still, in March 1941 the Italian invasion was confronted successfully. During the Greco-Italian War the Hellenic Air Force shot down 64 enemy aircraft (confirmed) and claimed another 24. Actually, according to other sources, Italians lost 65 aircraft during the whole campaign, against Greeks and British, getting 495 more aircraft damaged.^[12] In April 1941 the German Wehrmacht invaded Greece to assist her Italian allies. The Luftwaffe destroyed almost the entire Hellenic Air Force; some aircraft managed to escape in the Middle East. The top ace of Hellenic Air Force was Andreas Antoniou with 5.5 victories.^[10]

Greek pilots of the 335th Fighter Squadron in Egypt (1942).

Five Avro Anson, one Dornier Do 22 and three Avro 626 escaped. Hellenic aviation was rebuilt under the Air Force Ministry based in Cairo. Three Hellenic squadrons were built, which were operating under the command of the British RAF. These squadrons were the 13th Light Bombing Squadron, with Avro Ansons, Bristol Blenheims and Martin Baltimores, and the 335 and 336 Fighting Squadrons, with Hawker Hurricane I and IIs and Spitfire V types. The Hellenic Squadrons in the Middle East took over a variety of missions, such as convoy patrols, antisubmarine search, offensive patrols, reconnaissance, attacks and interceptions of enemy aircraft. In summer 1943 the Greek Squadrons participated in the attack against the German Wehrmacht on the island of Crete. From May to November 1944 the Greek squadrons continued in Italy. Greek pilots operated with great success. Two of those pilots were Pilot Officer G. Tsotsos and Master Sergeant D. Soufrillas flying Spitfires credited with shooting down German Junkers 88 bombers. Seventy men were lost.^[13]

During World War II Greek pilots who were flying with the RAF achieved many victories. Rhodesian-born Wing Commander John Agorastos Plagis shot down 16 enemy aircraft over Malta and Western Europe. Flying Lieutenant Vasilios Michael Vassiliadis was credited with 11.5 enemy aircraft over Western Europe before he was killed in action on March 15, 1945 over Germany. Steve Pisanos, an immigrant to USA in 1938, joined an Eagle Squadron of American volunteers in the RAF and fought over Western Europe. He later joined the USAF and took US citizenship to continue fighting with the same squadron, now part of the USAF 4th FG. He achieved 10 victories with USAF by 1944.

After Greece's liberation in 1944, RHAF returned home and subsequently played a decisive role in the Greek Civil War, which lasted until 1949, re-equipped with Supermarine Spitfire Mk IX, Spitfire Mk XVI fighters and Curtiss SB2C Helldiver bombers.

Post-war developments

A Douglas C-47 Dakota of the Royal Hellenic Air Force in 1953

After the end of the Greek Civil War in November 1950, Greece sent seven Douglas C-47 Dakota transport aircraft of the 13th Transport Aircraft Squadron to South Korea to assist the United Nations. Greek aircraft operated in Korea until May 1955. Greek pilots flew thousands of war missions, including air evacuations, personnel transport, intelligence gathering, and supply flights.

In 1952 Greece was admitted to NATO and the Air Force was rebuilt and organized according to NATO standards, with US assistance. New aircraft, including jets, were introduced.

The first jet fighter flown by the Hellenic Air Force was the Republic F-84G Thunderjet. It was also flown by the first Hellenic aerobatic team, 337 SQ. Later, the F-84 replaced by the Canadair Sabre 2. About 100 examples were supplied during 1954 and 1955 after upgrading in the United Kingdom following service with the Royal Canadian Air Force. Lockheed T-33s were delivered to training units and some RT-33s were used for reconnaissance missions.

The Republic F-84F Thunderstreak first flew with the Hellenic Air Force in 1955. The RF-84F remained in service with the 348 Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron from 1956 to March 29, 1991.

In the late 1960s, the RHAF acquired new jet aircraft. These included the Lockheed F-104G Starfighter, the Convair F-102 Delta Dagger (in service 1969–1975) and the Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter. The F-104 and F-5 served well for almost 20 years.

In the mid-1970s the Hellenic Air Force was further modernized with deliveries of the Dassault Mirage F1CG fleet, Vought A-7Hs (including a number of TA-7Hs) and the first batch of McDonnell-Douglas F-4E Phantom IIs, upgraded versions of which still serve today.

Also in 1993, the United States Air Force delivered 62 A-7Es and TA-7Cs, increasing the air-to-ground capability of the HAF. Some A-7s were still in service as of 2011, pending delivery of more-modern fighters.^[14]

World War II

The country joined WWII with the Allies side in October 1940, when dictator Ioannis Metaxas rejected an Italian ultimatum by Mussolini. In the Greco-Italian War, the Hellenic Army pushed back the Italian and occupied large parts of Northern Epirus, but after a German invasion (Battle of Greece) fell under the Axis domination.

The exiled Greek government, with units of the Army, were transferred to Middle East, where they continued the war with the Allies.

Leo Niehorster's website shows the higher organisation of the Greek Army on 15 August 1940, with the General Staff of the Army directly supervising five corps, three divisions, and the Thessaloniki Fortress.^[15]

After the war, Greece incorporated Dodecanese. Soon the political polarization between leftist/communist and anticommunist forces led to a civil war, which ended with communist defeat.

In total, the Hellenic Army has taken part in the following engagements:

• Greek War of Independence (1821–1830)
• Greco-Turkish War of 1897
• First Balkan War (1912–1913)
• Second Balkan War (1913)
• First World War
  • Occupation of Northern Epirus (1914–1917)
  • Macedonian Front of World War I (1916–1918)
• Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War (1919)
• Greco-Turkish War of 1919–1922
• Second World War
  • Greco-Italian War (1940–1941)
  • German invasion and Battle of Crete (1941)
  • North African Campaign (1941–1943)
  • Italian Campaign (1944)
• Greek Civil War (1946–1949)
• Korean War (1950–1953)
• Turkish Invasion of Cyprus (1974)
• Kosovo (1999–present)
• War in Afghanistan (2001–2012)
• War on Terrorism (2001–present)

Commissioned officers

Officer grade structure of the Hellenic Army
NATO Code	OF-9	OF-8	OF-7	OF-6	OF-5	OF-4	OF-3	OF-2	OF-1		OF(D)
Insignia
Title	Stratigos	Antistratigos	Ypostratigos	Taxiarchos	Syntagmatarchis	Antisyntagmatarhis	Tagmatarhis	Loxagos	Ypoloxagos	Anthypoloxagos	Dokimos Efedros Axiomatikos
Greek	Στρατηγός	Αντιστράτηγος	Υποστράτηγος	Ταξίαρχος	Συνταγματάρχης	Αντισυνταγματάρχης	Ταγματάρχης	Λοχαγός	Υπολοχαγός	Ανθυπολοχαγός	Δόκιμος Έφεδρος Αξιωματικός
Equivalent title	General	Lieutenant General	Major General	Brigadier	Colonel	Lieutenant Colonel	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Second Lieutenant	Officer Designate

NCO/Enlisted

NCO – Enlisted grade structure of the Hellenic Army
NATO Code	OR-9	OR-8		OR-7		OR-6			OR-4			OR-3		OR-1
Insignia															No insignia
Title	Anthypaspistis	Archilochias		Epilochias		Lochias			Dekaneas			Ypodekaneas		Ypopsifios Efedros Bathmoforos	Stratiotis
Greek	Ανθυπασπιστής	Αρχιλοχίας		Επιλοχίας		Λοχίας			Δεκανέας			Υποδεκανέας		Υποψήφιος Έφεδρος Βαθμοφόρος	Στρατιώτης
Equivalent rank	Warrant Officer	Master Sergeant		Staff Sergeant		Sergeant			Corporal			Lance Corporal		Candidate Reservist Rank	Private

Decade of wars: 1912–1922

Greek infantry preparing to launch an attack at the Battle of Bizani (1913)

Greek artillery gun at the Macedonian Front during WWI

Greek infantry marches through the steppe during the Greco-Turkish War (1919–22)

Unit of the Greek Army during the Italian Spring Offensive during the Greco-Italian war, WWII

The dismal performance of the Hellenic Army in the war of 1897 led to a major reform programme under the administration of Georgios Theotokis (1899–1901, 1903–1904 and 1906–1909). A new Army Organization Statute was issued in 1904 (revised in 1910), purchases of new artillery material (including the 75 mm Schneider-Danglis 06/09 gun) and of the Mannlicher–Schönauer rifle were made, and a new, khaki field uniform was introduced in 1908.^[17][18] Reform was accelerated after the Goudi coup of 1909.

The new government under Eleftherios Venizelos brought a French military mission to train the Hellenic Army. Under its supervision, the Greeks had adopted the triangular infantry division as their main formation, but more importantly, the overhaul of the mobilization system allowed the country to field and equip a far greater number of troops than it had in 1897: while foreign observers estimated a mobilized force of approximately 50,000 men, the Army eventually fielded 125,000, with another 140,000 in the National Guard and reserves.^[19][20]

After the victorious Balkan Wars, the country doubled its territory. During the WWI, a disagreement between King Constantine and Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos caused a National Schism, but eventually a united Greece joined in 1917 the Allies.

As a winner of the war, Greece annexed Western Thrace and landed units in 1919 at Asia Minor, starting so the Greco-Turkish War (1919-22), but was defeated in 1922.

Commissioned officers

Officer grade structure of the Hellenic Army
NATO Code	OF-9	OF-8	OF-7	OF-6	OF-5	OF-4	OF-3	OF-2	OF-1		OF(D)
Insignia
Title	Stratigos	Antistratigos	Ypostratigos	Taxiarchos	Syntagmatarchis	Antisyntagmatarhis	Tagmatarhis	Loxagos	Ypoloxagos	Anthypoloxagos	Dokimos Efedros Axiomatikos
Greek	Στρατηγός	Αντιστράτηγος	Υποστράτηγος	Ταξίαρχος	Συνταγματάρχης	Αντισυνταγματάρχης	Ταγματάρχης	Λοχαγός	Υπολοχαγός	Ανθυπολοχαγός	Δόκιμος Έφεδρος Αξιωματικός
Equivalent title	General	Lieutenant General	Major General	Brigadier	Colonel	Lieutenant Colonel	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Second Lieutenant	Officer Designate

NCO/Enlisted

NCO – Enlisted grade structure of the Hellenic Army
NATO Code	OR-9	OR-8		OR-7		OR-6			OR-4			OR-3		OR-1
Insignia															No insignia
Title	Anthypaspistis	Archilochias		Epilochias		Lochias			Dekaneas			Ypodekaneas		Ypopsifios Efedros Bathmoforos	Stratiotis
Greek	Ανθυπασπιστής	Αρχιλοχίας		Επιλοχίας		Λοχίας			Δεκανέας			Υποδεκανέας		Υποψήφιος Έφεδρος Βαθμοφόρος	Στρατιώτης
Equivalent rank	Warrant Officer	Master Sergeant		Staff Sergeant		Sergeant			Corporal			Lance Corporal		Candidate Reservist Rank	Private

Commissioned officers

Officer grade structure of the Hellenic Air Force
NATO Code	OF-9	OF-8	OF-7	OF-6	OF-5	OF-4	OF-3	OF-2	OF-1
Insignia
Title	Pterarchos	Antipterarchos	Ypopterarchos	Taxiarchos	Sminarchos	Antisminarchos	Episminagos	Sminagos	Yposminagos	Anthyposminagos
Greek	Πτέραρχος	Αντιπτέραρχος	Υποπτέραρχος	Ταξίαρχος	Σμήναρχος	Αντισμήναρχος	Επισμηναγός	Σμηναγός	Υποσμηναγός	Ανθυποσμηναγός
Equivalent title	Air Chief Marshal	Air Marshal	Air Vice-Marshal	Air Commodore	Group Captain	Wing Commander	Squadron Leader	Flight Lieutenant	Flying Officer	Pilot Officer

NCO/Enlisted

NCO – Enlisted grade structure of the Hellenic Air Force
NATO Code	OR-9	OR-8		OR-7		OR-6		OR-5	OR-4	OR-1
Insignia[21]											No insignia
Title	Anthypaspistis	Archisminias SMY	Archisminias EMTH-ΜΕΕ-EPOP	Episminias SMY	Episminias EMTH-EPOP	Sminias SMY	Sminias EMTH-EPOP	Klirotos Sminias	Yposminias EPOP	Sminitis EPOP	Sminitis
Greek	Ανθυπασπιστής	Αρχισμηνίας ΣΜΥ	Αρχισμηνίας ΕΜΘ-ΜΕΕ-ΕΠΟΠ	Επισμηνίας ΣΜΥ	Επισμηνίας ΕΜΘ-ΕΠΟΠ	Σμηνίας ΣΜΥ	Σμηνίας ΕΜΘ-ΕΠΟΠ	Κληρωτός Σμηνίας	Υποσμηνίας ΕΠΟΠ	Σμηνίτης ΕΠΟΠ	Σμηνίτης
Equivalent rank	Warrant Officer	Chief Master Sergeant		Master Sergeant		Staff Sergeant		Conscirpt Sergeant	Corporal	Aircraftman

Current inventory

An F-16 landing at RIAT

An ERJ-135LR in Luxembourg

A Combat Search and Rescue Super Puma

Retired

Previous aircraft operated were the Supermarine Spitfire, F-86 Sabres, Douglas C-47 Skytrain, Grumman HU-16 Albatross, Sikorsky H-19, Bell 47, Dassault Mirage F1, Lockheed T-33, Republic F-84F, Convair F-102 Delta Dagger, Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, Northrop F-5, A-7 Corsair II,RF-4E, and theDornier Do-28d2 Skyservant^[27][28][29]

Weapons inventory

Air-to-air missiles:

• AIM-9M Sidewinder: 165
• AIM-9L/I1 Sidewinder: 300
• AIM-9L/I Sidewinder: 400
• AIM-9P4 Sidewinder (upgraded P3 and J-Sidewinder): 1,000
• AIM-120C-5/7 AMRAAM: 280
• AIM-120B AMRAAM: 240^[30]
• IRIS-T: 350 (with 90 joint helmet mounted cueing systems)
• R550 Magic-2: 300
• MBDA MICA: 300

Air-to-ground munitions:

• Exocet AM-39 Block 2: 36
• SCALP EG: 90
• Bombkapsel 90 AFDS: 70
• AGM-65G2: 200
• AGM-65A/B: 200+ (?)
• AGM-88B Block IIIA: 84
• AGM-154C JSOW: 40
• GBU-8B HOBOS: 96
• GBU-12 & GBU-16 Paveway II: 1,162
• GBU-24 Paveway III: 200
• GBU-27 Paveway III: 250
• JDAM: 100
• Enhanced Paveway II: 50

Navigation and targeting pods

• DB-110: 2 (RECON)
• LANTIRN-AWNP (F-16 Block 50D & 52+): 23
• LANTIRN-TP (F-16 Block 50D & 52+): 23
• LITENING targeting pod F-4E AUP: 15
• A-7E/TA-7C LANA Night Navigation Pods: ?
• ASTAC ELINT-SIGINT: 4 ( RF-4)

Anti-aircraft systems

• Patriot PAC II/ PAC III AA missile system: 6 Batterries / 36 launchers / 325 missiles (as of 2004 installed near Athens, Thessaloniki on the island of Skyros and at Chrysoupoli in Northern Greece ^[31])
• S-300 PMU1 AA missile system: 1 Battalion/4 batteries/16 launchers/75 missiles(installed on the island of Crete)
• SKYGUARD/VELOS AA system: 20 launchers / 280 missiles / 24 Oerlikon-35 Guns
• Crotale NG/GR AA missile system: 9 launchers
• TOR M1 AA missile system: 4 launchers
• Stinger portable AA missile: unknown number of launchers / 300 missiles
• Artemis 30 30 mm AA guns: 38
• Rheinmetall 202 Mk20 : 326

Aircraft markings and camouflage

roundel in brown and green scheme

The primary camouflage scheme utilized by the Hellenic Air Force is the Aegean Ghost (Greek: Φάντασμα του Αιγαίου) scheme. This is modified slightly for each aircraft type but is standard for all combat and transport aircraft in the inventory. Some training, search-and-rescue, and firefighting aircraft are colored partially or completely in high-visibility colors for identification and easier location in case of an accident. The air force also frequently uses colorful commemorative schemes to mark anniversaries and other special occasions or for display purposes. National markings are applied to all aircraft, with the national roundel consisting of concentric blue, white, and blue rings displayed on the fuselage sides and wing surfaces and a tricolor fin flash of similar blue, white, and blue horizontal stripes on the rudder. The words Πολεμική Αεροπορία (or simply the abbreviation ΠΑ) are applied to the fuselage as well, although this is less common in current schemes. Aircraft in Aegean Ghost scheme may have low visibility markings applied in which blue is replaced by dark grey and white by light grey.

Originally, many aircraft in service retained the basic color scheme they were acquired in. Prior to World War II, combat aircraft were given a green and brown top scheme with white or sky blue underside, similar to the Royal Air Force. After the war, jet fighter aircraft such as the Sabre and Starfighter would serve in a polished metal scheme. Later, most aircraft received green and brown camouflage again, consistent with the United States Air Force's South East Asia scheme, referred to as Vietnam camouflage in Greece. A-7 Corsair IIs would be some of the last aircraft to fly with this scheme, retaining it until their retirement, long after all-over grey schemes had become the normal application for Greek aircraft. C-130 Hercules transports which used South East Asia early in their careers were repainted in an overall grey theme.

Aircraft accidents and incidents

The worst accident in the history of the Hellenic Air Force occurred on February 5, 1991 when Lockheed C-130H Hercules s/n 748 crashed into Mount Othrys during the landing approach to Nea Anchialos. Sixty-three people were killed.