Hellenic Air Force
The Hellenic Air Force (Πολεμική Αεροπορία) became an independent service in 1930, fought the Italian invasion of 1940 outnumbered nearly five to one, flew from British bases in North Africa and Italy after the German conquest of 1941, and has spent half a century facing Turkey across the Aegean — and in 2026 it flies Rafales and upgraded F-16 Vipers, has 20 F-35As on order, and is retiring the last Phantoms in NATO’s front line.
The Hellenic Air Force story: the Balkan Wars, exile in the desert and half a century over the Aegean
1911–1930: Kamberos, the Dardanelles and an independent air force
Greek military flying began with French instructors and Farman aircraft ordered in 1911. On 8 February 1912 the aviator Emmanuel Argyropoulos made the first flight in Greece, taking Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos up the same day; on 13 May 1912 Lieutenant Dimitrios Kamberos flew the first military Henry Farman. An “Aviators Company” of four officer pilots formed at Larissa in September 1912, and on 5 October it flew the first Greek war reconnaissance, over Thessaly. On 24 January 1913 Lieutenant Michael Moutoussis and Ensign Aristeidis Moraitinis flew a Maurice Farman seaplane over the Dardanelles, sketched the Turkish fleet and dropped four bombs — claimed by the HAF as the first naval co-operation mission in history. Army and naval aviators flew Allied types in the First World War and in Asia Minor. In 1930 an Air Ministry under Venizelos merged them into an independent third service; the Air Force Academy followed in 1931 and the Air Staff in 1934.
1940–1945: 79 aircraft against 380, and exile in the desert
When Italy invaded on 28 October 1940 the Royal Hellenic Air Force had, by the usual count, 79 combat aircraft against 380 Italian ones; its best fighters were 24 Polish PZL P.24s and nine French Bloch MB.151s, and only nine of 24 Blochs ordered had arrived. It fought anyway, alongside RAF squadrons sent to Greece. Wikipedia’s summary credits it with 68 Italian aircraft shot down by official count and 24 more claimed, for the loss of 35 aircrew killed; other accounts give 64. The German invasion of April 1941 finished what was left, and only a handful of aircraft reached Egypt. There the service was rebuilt under RAF command: 13 Light Bomber Squadron on Ansons, Blenheims and Baltimores, and 335 and 336 Squadrons on Hurricanes and Spitfires, flying over the Western Desert and later Italy and the Balkans. About seventy Greek pilots were lost. Its strength was courage; its weakness was that the pre-war air force had never been given aircraft enough to win.
1944–1974: civil war, Korea and an air force built by NATO
The squadrons came home in 1944 into a country sliding into civil war, and until 1949 Spitfires and SB2C Helldivers flew against the Democratic Army in the northern mountains — a role the English Wikipedia calls decisive but which is poorly documented in the official sources checked. From November 1950 to May 1955 seven C-47s of the 13th Transport Flight served in Korea: the HAF counts 2,916 missions, two aircraft lost and 12 men who did not come home. Greece joined NATO in 1952, and American aid rebuilt the service: about 200 F-84G Thunderjets from 1952, Canadair Sabres, F-84F Thunderstreaks from 1957, Nike Hercules missiles in 1960, F-104G Starfighters in April 1964 and F-5A Freedom Fighters in 1965, the first in a European air force. The good of this period was scale and NATO standards; the bad was dependence on hand-me-down types and on Washington’s politics.
1974: Cyprus, Operation Niki and the Phantoms that came too late
The Turkish invasion of Cyprus in July 1974 found the air force unable to intervene over an island 800 km from its bases. Its one direct action was Operation Niki on the night of 21–22 July: 15 Noratlas transports left Souda with commandos for Nicosia. The HAF says 12 landed; Wikipedia says 13. Cypriot National Guard gunners, not warned of their arrival, shot one down: the HAF counts a crew of four and 12 parachutists killed, while Wikipedia counts 4 crew and 27 commandos on Niki-4 and 33 commandos killed in all. The first 18 F-4E Phantoms had landed at Andravida on 5 April 1974, too late to change anything. Greece left NATO’s military structure from 1974 to 1980. The crisis produced the air force of the next forty years: Phantoms, A-7 Corsairs from 1975, 40 Mirage F1CGs from August 1975, C-130s from September 1975 — and a permanent Aegean alert.
The Aegean: half a century of interceptions, 1996 and 2006
Since 1974 Greek and Turkish fighters have met almost daily over the Aegean, in a dispute over airspace width and flight information region rules that the two governments describe in opposite terms. It has killed pilots on both sides. On 8 October 1996 a Turkish F-16D went down near Chios after an interception by two Greek Mirage 2000s; its pilot, Captain Nail Erdoğan, died. Greece denied a shootdown for years, and in 2012 the Turkish defence minister stated that a Mirage had downed it with a Magic II missile. On 23 May 2006 a Greek F-16 and a Turkish F-16 escorting an RF-4E collided at 27,000 feet south-east of Karpathos: Flight Lieutenant Konstantinos Iliakis was killed; the Turkish pilot ejected and was rescued. Athens said the Turkish jets were inside the Athens FIR without flight plans; Ankara said they were on a scheduled training flight in international airspace. A Greek court convicted the Turkish pilot in absentia in 2009.
2020–2026: Rafale, Viper, F-35 and the end of the Phantom
Between 1985 and 2010 Greece bought 170 F-16s in four Peace Xenia batches and 40 Mirage 2000s, then 15 new Mirage 2000-5 Mk2s. The debt crisis after 2008 grounded jets for want of spares. The recovery was fast: 24 Rafales ordered from 2021, the first six landing at Tanagra in January 2022; an F-16 upgrade to Block 70/72 Viper standard, which passed its 60th aircraft on 17 September 2026; an Israeli-run training centre at Kalamata with ten M-346s from May 2023; and a Letter of Offer and Acceptance for 20 F-35As signed in July 2024, the first to reach the United States for training in 2028. In March 2024 the defence minister, Nikos Dendias, said the F-4s would retire and the Mirage 2000-5s and oldest F-16s would be sold; no buyer had been announced by September 2026. On 5 September 2026 an F-4E crashed at Tanagra during Athens Flying Week, killing both crew and leaving 16 Phantoms.
The Hellenic Air Force in numbers
Service
- Native name
- Πολεμική ΑεροπορίαPolemikí Aeroporia, literally "war aviation"; the form the HAF uses on its Greek-language site. Greek is Greece’s only official language. Called the Royal Hellenic Air Force until the monarchy ended in 1973
- Founded
- 1930The Air Ministry was set up in 1930 under Eleftherios Venizelos, merging army and naval aviation into an independent third service. Military flying dates from 1912; the Air Force Academy followed in 1931 and the Air Staff in 1934
- Part of
- Hellenic Armed ForcesOne of three services under the Hellenic National Defence General Staff and the Ministry of National Defence
- Headquarters
- Papagou Camp, AthensThe Hellenic Air Force General Staff sits at Papagou Camp in the municipality of Filothei-Psychiko, Attica
- Chief of the Air Staff
- Lt Gen Dimosthenis GrigoriadisAssumed duties 12 January 2024; term extended by KYSEA on 11 January 2026
- Minister of National Defence
- Nikos DendiasPresented the 12-year armament plan to Parliament on 2 April 2025
Strength
- Personnel
- About 33,000Wikipedia’s figure: 11,750 career officers, 14,000 professional soldiers, 7,250 conscripts. Not confirmed on haf.gr or in IISS for this page
- Combat aircraft
-
- F-16C/D Block 30/50/52+/52+ Advanced and F-16V — about 152
- Rafale EG/DG — 24
- Mirage 2000-5 Mk2 — 18–25
- F-4E AUP Phantom II — 16
F-16 total from Wikipedia (170 bought, 1988–2010); 60 upgraded to Viper by 17 September 2026. Mirage 2000-5 counts differ between reports (18, 24 and 25). The Phantom total is 16 after the loss of 5 September 2026
- Transport and special mission
-
- C-130B/H Hercules — 15
- C-27J Spartan — 8
- EMB-145H (R-99) AEW&C — 4
- VIP jets (Gulfstream V, ERJ-135, Falcon 7X) — 3
Three C-390s ordered in July 2026 to replace the C-130H from 2027
- Firefighting
-
- CL-415 — 8
- CL-215 — 10–11
- PZL M-18 Dromader — 21
Greece’s water bombers are flown by the air force. Seven DHC-515s were contracted on 24 March 2024
- Trainers
-
- T-6A Texan II — 45 (25 T-6A, 20 T-6A NTA)
- M-346 — 10
- Tecnam P2002 — 12
The M-346s belong to the Elbit-run International Flight Training Center at Kalamata (120 Air Training Wing)
- Defence plan
- €25 billion over 12 yearsPresented to Parliament on 2 April 2025, built around the "Achilles Shield" air and missile defence network
Infrastructure
- Combat wings
-
- 110 CW Larissa — F-16 Block 52+
- 111 CW Nea Anchialos — F-16 Block 30/50
- 114 CW Tanagra — Rafale, Mirage 2000-5
- 115 CW Souda — F-16 Block 52+
- 116 CW Araxos — F-16 Block 52+ Advanced
- 117 CW Andravida — F-4E, future F-35A
As listed on each wing’s haf.gr page; Andravida is the reported F-35 base
- Training
- 120 Air Training Wing, KalamataT-6A and M-346; the International Flight Training Center opened with the first M-346s on 11–16 May 2023
- Display team
- Zeus F-16 Demo TeamEstablished in 2010, per the 115 Combat Wing page. The first aerobatic team, Hellenic Flame, dates from the 1950s
- Museum
- Hellenic Air Force Museum, Dekelia (Tatoi)Open weekends 09:30–16:30, free entry
How the Hellenic Air Force is organised
One General Staff in Athens over the Hellenic Tactical Air Force at Larissa, which controls every combat unit and national air defence, and over transport, training and missile wings. Six combat wings fly the fighters, and three combat groups on Limnos, Skyros and Crete serve as forward bases for rotating detachments. The air force also flies Greece’s water bombers.
Hellenic Air Force General Staff
Lt Gen Dimosthenis Grigoriadis has been Chief of the Air Staff since 12 January 2024; his term was extended on 11 January 2026. The staff sits at Papagou Camp in Athens, one of three services under the Hellenic National Defence General Staff.
Hellenic Tactical Air Force
The command that controls every Greek combat unit and national air defence, at Larissa since 1953 and under its present name since 1984. Its combat wings fly the F-16 at Larissa, Nea Anchialos, Souda and Araxos, the Rafale and Mirage 2000-5 at Tanagra and the last Phantoms at Andravida.
Combat groups on the islands
130, 133 and 135 Combat Groups at Limnos, Kasteli and Skyros host rotating fighter detachments; Skyros has been a forward Aegean alert base since 1982.
112 Combat Wing
C-130H Hercules, C-27J Spartans, VIP jets, the Erieye early-warning aircraft, search and rescue helicopters and CL-215 water bombers. Greece’s firefighting aircraft belong to the air force: the CL-415s fly from Thessaloniki and the Dromaders from Dekelia.
Training Command
Headquartered at Dekelia. Its 120 Air Training Wing at Kalamata takes Air Force Academy cadets through basic and advanced training on the T-6A and, at the Elbit-run International Flight Training Center, the M-346.
350th Guided Missile Wing
The ground-based air defence, headquartered at Sedes, with Patriot, S-300 and TOR squadrons across Greece. The €25 billion, 12-year plan presented to Parliament in April 2025 is built around the Achilles Shield air and missile defence network.
What the Hellenic Air Force flies today
Every type on charge, linked to its Book of Beasts page where one exists. Counts are aircraft on the books, not aircraft available on a given day.
| Type | Role | In service | Since | Units | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 30/50/52+/52+ Advanced and F-16V ViperIn service | Multirole fighter | 152 | 1989 | — | About 152 (113 C, 39 D) per Wikipedia, of 170 bought: 40 Block 30 (1988–1990), 40 Block 50 (1997–1998), 60 Block 52+ (2003–2004) and 30 Block 52+ Advanced (2009–2010).
MoreThe Viper upgrade covers 83 or 84 aircraft, depending on the source. |
|
| Dassault Rafale EG/DG (F3-R)In service | Multirole fighter | 24 | 2022 | — | 24: 18 in the first contract (ratified by Parliament in January 2021, €2.4 billion) and six more signed in March 2022. | |
| Dassault Mirage 2000-5 Mk2 (EG/BG)In service | Air defence fighter | — | 2004 | — | 18–25: Wikipedia lists 24 (19 single-seat, 5 two-seat), Zona Militar 25, other reports 18. 15 were bought new and 10 upgraded from the original fleet. | |
| McDonnell Douglas F-4E AUP Phantom IIIn service | Fighter-bomber | 16 | 1974 | — | 16 after the crash of 5 September 2026 (17 in December 2025). Up to 121 F-4s of all versions were on strength after 1993, per Wikipedia. | |
| Lockheed C-130B/H HerculesIn service | Tactical transport | 15 | 1975 | — | 15 per Wikipedia: 5 C-130B and 10 C-130H. | |
| Alenia C-27J SpartanIn service | Tactical transport | 8 | — | Eight; Wikipedia’s HAF article says 12 were ordered and four cancelled. | ||
| Embraer EMB-145H (R-99) AEW&CIn service | Airborne early warning | 4 | — | Four. | ||
| Lockheed P-3B OrionIn service | Maritime patrol | 1 | — | One per Wikipedia. | ||
| Canadair CL-415 and CL-215In service | Firefighting | — | — | 18–19: 8 CL-415 (7 firefighting, 1 search and rescue) and 10–11 CL-215 (Wikipedia’s CL-215 article gives 10 in July 2023, seven CL-215GR and three ex-Yugoslav; the HAF article 11). | ||
| PZL-Mielec M-18 DromaderIn service | Firefighting | 21 | — | 21 (18 M-18B, 3 M-18AS) per Wikipedia. | ||
| Beechcraft T-6A Texan IIIn service | Basic trainer | 45 | 2000 | — | 25 T-6A and 20 armed T-6A NTA. | |
| Leonardo M-346 MasterIn service | Advanced jet trainer | 10 | 2023 | — | Ten, under the government-to-government International Flight Training Center with Israel’s Elbit Systems. | |
| Tecnam P2002JF SierraIn service | Primary trainer | 12 | — | 12 per Wikipedia. | ||
| Airbus Helicopters AS332 Super PumaIn service | Search and rescue and utility helicopter | 12 | — | 12 per Wikipedia. | ||
| Agusta-Bell 205 and 212In service | Utility and VIP helicopter | 16 | — | 12 AB 205 and 4 AB 212 per Wikipedia. | ||
| HAI Pegasus I/IIIn service | Tactical UAV | 16 | — | 16 (10 + 6) per Wikipedia. | ||
| IAI Heron TPIn service | MALE UAV | 3 | — | Three, leased from Israel, per Wikipedia. |
On order
| Type | Ordered | First delivery | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning IIOn order | 20 | 2028 | US approval for up to 40 in January 2024 (estimated at $8.6 billion); Parliament approved 20 in June 2024 and the Letter of Offer and Acceptance was signed in July 2024 ($3.76 billion reported).
MoreDeliveries 2028–2033; the first aircraft are to stay in the United States for about 27 months of training, so The Aviationist expects them in Greece around 2030. Reported base: Andravida. An option for 20 more is reported for after 2030. |
|
| Embraer C-390 MillenniumOn order | 3 | 2027 | Approved by the Government Council for Foreign Affairs and Defence on 23 July 2026 for about €600 million including training, through an agreement with Portugal; all three by 2030, with three more under consideration.
MoreReplaces the C-130H. Hellenic Aerospace Industry signed an MRO memorandum with Embraer on 22 May 2026. |
|
| De Havilland Canada DHC-515 FirefighterOn order | 7 | Contract with the Canadian Commercial Corporation signed 24 March 2024, facilitated through the EU’s rescEU mechanism. Delivery dates were not published in the announcement. | ||
| Sikorsky S-64 SkycraneOn order | 4 | Four more heavy firefighting helicopters by 2027, per Wikipedia; not confirmed on an official page. |
Every type the Hellenic Air Force has retired
26 types, from the Henry Farman and Maurice Farman to the Dassault Mirage 2000EG/BG (EGM/BGM). Peak figures are airframes taken on charge over the whole service life, not fleet strength on any one date.
| Type | Role | Peak | Served | Replaced by | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dassault Mirage 2000EG/BG (EGM/BGM) | Air defence fighter | 40 | 1988–2022 | Rafale | 36 single-seat and 4 two-seat, ordered in 1985 (contract July 1985). | |
| LTV A-7H/TA-7H and A-7E/TA-7C Corsair II | Attack | 146 | 1975–2014 | F-16 Block 52+ Advanced | 60 A-7H and 5 TA-7H new (ordered 1974), plus 62 A-7E and 19 TA-7C ex-US Navy in 1993. | |
| Dassault Mirage F1CG | All-weather interceptor | 40 | 1975–2003 | Mirage 2000-5 | 40. | |
| Northrop F-5A/B and RF-5A Freedom Fighter | Day fighter and reconnaissance | — | 1965–2002 | — | About 120 in all per Wikipedia: about 70 new (1965–1973) and batches of 10 from Iran, Jordan, Norway and the Netherlands. | |
| Cessna T-37B/C | Jet trainer | — | — | T-6A | Number not confirmed. | |
| Lockheed F-104G and TF-104G Starfighter | Fighter-bomber and interceptor | 146 | 1964–1993 | F-16, A-7 | 45 new F-104G and 6 TF-104G under US aid, plus 79 ex-West German, 7 ex-Dutch and 9 ex-Spanish. | |
| Republic F-84F Thunderstreak and RF-84F Thunderflash | Fighter-bomber and reconnaissance | — | 1957–1991 | — | Numbers not confirmed. | |
| Fairey Battle | Light bomber | — | — | — | Number not confirmed. | |
| PZL P.24F/G | Fighter | 36 | — | — | 36 ordered at the end of 1936; 24 were the core of the fighter force in October 1940. | |
| Bloch MB.151 | Fighter | 9 | 1939–1941 | — | Nine delivered of 24 ordered in 1939. | |
| Gloster Gladiator | Fighter | — | — | — | Number not confirmed. | |
| North American T-2E Buckeye | Jet trainer | — | 1976– | M-346 | Number not confirmed. | |
| Convair F-102A and TF-102A Delta Dagger | All-weather interceptor | 24 | 1969– | Mirage F1CG | 19 F-102A and 5 TF-102A. | |
| North American / Canadair F-86E and F-86D Sabre | Day and all-weather fighter | — | 1954– | F-5A | At least 120 Canadair Sabre Mk 4s (F-86E(M)); F-86D numbers were not confirmed. | |
| Republic F-84G Thunderjet | Fighter-bomber | 200 | 1952– | F-84F | About 200, received from 1952 to June 1960. | |
| Nord N.2501 Noratlas | Tactical transport | — | 1969– | C-130H | Number not confirmed. | |
| Douglas C-47 Dakota | Transport | — | — | — | Seven served in Korea; the fleet total was not confirmed. | |
| Lockheed T-33A | Jet trainer | — | — | — | Number not confirmed. | |
| Grumman HU-16B Albatross | Maritime and search and rescue amphibian | — | 1969– | — | Number not confirmed. | |
| Supermarine Spitfire | Fighter | — | 1943– | — | Numbers not confirmed. | |
| Hawker Hurricane I/II | Fighter | — | 1941– | Spitfire | Numbers not confirmed. | |
| Curtiss SB2C-5 Helldiver | Dive bomber | — | — | — | Number not confirmed. | |
| Martin A-30 Baltimore | Light bomber | — | — | — | Number not confirmed. | |
| Bristol Blenheim Mk IV | Light bomber | — | — | — | Number not confirmed. | |
| Breguet 19 A2/B2 | Reconnaissance bomber | — | — | — | Number not confirmed. | |
| Henry Farman and Maurice Farman | First military aircraft | — | 1912– | — | Number not confirmed. |
Where the Hellenic Air Force flies from
Black pins are active bases, hollow pins the ones that have closed. Many bases share their runways with civil airports — Souda with Chania, Kalamata, Limnos and Nea Anchialos among them — and Souda also hosts the US Naval Support Activity. Entries with no published aerodrome data carry no pin.
| Base | ICAO | Status | Runway | Units and aircraft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndravidaWestern Greece (Elis) | LGAD | Active | 16/343,139 m |
|
| AraxosWestern Greece (Achaea) | LGRX | Active | — |
|
| DekeliaTatoiAttica (East Attica) | LGTT | Active | — |
|
| ElefsisAttica (West Attica) | LGEL | Active | 18/362,739 m |
|
| KalamataPeloponnese (Messenia) | LGKL | Active | 17R/35L2,703 m |
|
| KasteliCrete (Heraklion) | LGTL | Active | — |
|
| LarissaThessaly (Larissa) | LGLR | Active | — |
|
| LimnosNorth Aegean (Lemnos) | LGLM | Active | 04/223,016 m |
|
| Nea AnchialosThessaly (Magnesia) | LGBL | Active | 08/262,759 m |
|
| SedesCentral Macedonia (Thessaloniki) | LGSD | Active | 13/311,257 mpierced steel planking |
|
| SkyrosCentral Greece (Euboea, Skyros) | LGSY | Active | 17/353,002 m |
|
| SoudaCrete (Chania) | LGSA | Active | 11L/29R3,347 m |
|
| TanagraCentral Greece (Boeotia) | LGTG | Active | 10/282,990 m |
|
| ThessalonikiMikraCentral Macedonia (Thessaloniki) | LGTS | Active | 10/283,440 m |
|
| MalemeCrete (Chania) | Closed 2012 | 13/311,053 m03/21952 m | — | |
| HellinikonAthens EllinikonAttica (South Athens) | LGAT | Closed 2001 | — |
|
No air base matches that search.
Who is stationed where in the Hellenic Air Force
Flying units by base, current units first. Greek squadrons are numbered in the 300s — 331 and 332 on the Mirage 2000-5 and Rafale at Tanagra, 338 on the last Phantoms at Andravida — and the combat wings in the 110s. The US Navy installation at Souda is listed with the base that hosts it.
- 332 All Weather SquadronFighter squadron · active
- Dassault Rafale EG/DG (F3-R), Dassault Mirage 2000EG/BG (to 2022)
- 331 All Weather SquadronFighter squadron · active
- Dassault Mirage 2000-5 Mk2 (EG/BG)
- 26th Guided Missile SquadronAir defence missile squadron · active
- —
- 334 and 342 Squadrons (Mirage F1CG)1967–2003
- Convair F-102A Delta Dagger (342 Sqn, 1967 or 1969 to early 1977), Dassault Mirage F1CG (1975–2003)
- 341, 342, 343, 335 and 336 Squadrons1956–1977
- Canadair F-86E Sabre (1956–1962), Republic F-84F Thunderstreak (335 Sqn, from 1960), Lockheed F-104G/TF-104G Starfighter (from 1964), Lockheed T-33A (361 Sqn and 366 Flight)
- 338 Fighter-Bomber SquadronAres · Fighter-bomber squadron · active
- McDonnell Douglas F-4E AUP Phantom II
- Air Tactics Centre (Tactical Weapons School)Tactics and weapons school · active
- —
- 339 All Weather Squadron1961–2017
- McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom II, Republic F-84F Thunderstreak (1961–1973)
- 368 Applied Training Flight1976–1989
- Lockheed T-33A
- 337 SquadronGhost · Fighter squadron · active
- Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 52+, McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom II (1978–2005)
- Unmanned Aircraft SquadronAcheron · Unmanned aircraft squadron · active
- EADS/HAI Pegasus II
- 348 Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron1954–2017
- McDonnell Douglas RF-4E Phantom II, Republic RF-84F Thunderflash and RT-33
- 346 Squadron1997–
- Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 30
- 342, 349 and 347 Squadrons1966–1997
- Republic F-84F Thunderstreak, Northrop F-5A/B and RF-5A, LTV A-7H Corsair II
- 340 SquadronFox · Fighter squadron · active
- Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 52+, LTV A-7H/TA-7H Corsair II (1975–2001)
- 343 SquadronStar · Fighter squadron · active
- Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 52+
- Zeus F-16 Demo TeamDisplay team · active
- Lockheed Martin F-16C/D
- US Naval Support Activity Souda BayUS Navy support installation (tenant) · active
- —
- 345 and 347 Squadrons (A-7H)1975–2002
- LTV A-7H Corsair II (1975–2002), Republic F-84G (1958–1960) and F-84F (from 1960)
- 361 Air Training SquadronMystras · Basic flying training squadron · active
- Beechcraft T-6A Texan II, Cessna T-37B/C (1971–2002)
- 364 Air Training SquadronAdvanced jet training squadron · active
- Leonardo M-346 Master
- 362 and 363 Air Training Squadrons1970–
- Lockheed T-33A (362 Sqn, 1970–1977), North American T-2E Buckeye (363 Sqn, from 1977)
- 330 SquadronThunder · Fighter squadron · active
- Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 30
- 341 SquadronVelos (Arrow) · Fighter squadron (SEAD) · active
- Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 50
- 347 SquadronPerseus · Fighter squadron · active
- Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 50
- 340, 335, 336, 341, 343, 337 and 349 Squadrons1953–1978
- Republic F-84G and F-84F, North American F-86E and F-86D Sabre, Northrop F-5A/B and RF-5A
- 335 SquadronTiger · Fighter-bomber squadron · active
- Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 52+ Advanced, LTV A-7E Corsair II (1993–2007)
- 336 SquadronOlympus · Fighter-bomber squadron · active
- Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 52+ Advanced, LTV A-7E Corsair II (2001–2014), Lockheed F-104G Starfighter (from 1964)
- 355 Fighter-Bomber Squadron1977–
- Lockheed F-104G Starfighter
- 356 Tactical Transport SquadronHercules · Transport squadron · active
- Lockheed C-130B/H Hercules
- 354 Tactical Transport SquadronPegasus · Transport squadron · active
- Alenia C-27J Spartan, Nord N.2501D Noratlas (1970–1982)
- 355 Tactical Transport SquadronAtlas · Firefighting squadron · active
- Canadair CL-215, Douglas C-47 Dakota (1947–1984)
- 352 VIP Transport SquadronVIP transport squadron · active
- Embraer EMB-135LR, Gulfstream V, Dassault Falcon 7X
- 380 Airborne Early Warning and Control SquadronUranos · AEW&C squadron · active
- Embraer EMB-145H (R-99) Erieye
- 358 Search and Rescue SquadronPhaethon · Search and rescue helicopter squadron · active
- Agusta-Bell 205A1, Agusta-Bell 212, AgustaWestland A109E
- 384 Search and Rescue SquadronPuma · Search and rescue helicopter squadron · active
- Airbus Helicopters AS332C1 Super Puma
- 359 Public Services Air Support SquadronFirefighting squadron · active
- PZL-Mielec M-18B/BS Dromader
- 360 SquadronThales · Light aircraft squadron · active
- Cessna T-41D Mescalero
- Hellenic Air Force MuseumMuseum · active
- —
- 383 Squadron (Special Operations and Aerial Firefighting)Firefighting and special operations squadron · active
- Canadair CL-415
- 113 Combat Wing F-5 Training Flight1993–
- Northrop F-5A/B
- 350th Guided Missile Wing and 23rd Guided Missile SquadronAir defence missile wing · active
- —
- 1st Aircraft Regiment and first post-war combat wing1914–1974
- Supermarine Spitfire, Lockheed T-33A, Northrop F-5A/B
- 135 Combat Group (rotating detachments)Forward operating base · active
- Dassault Mirage 2000 and 2000-5, Lockheed Martin F-16C/D, McDonnell Douglas F-4E
- 22nd Guided Missile SquadronAir defence missile squadron · active
- —
- 130 Combat Group (detachments)Forward operating base · active
- Lockheed Martin F-16C/D, Airbus Helicopters AS332 Super Puma
- 133 Combat GroupForward operating base · active
- Lockheed Martin F-16, McDonnell Douglas F-4 (former), LTV A-7 Corsair II (former)
No unit matches that search.
Hellenic Air Force milestones, 1914 to today
8 February: Emmanuel Argyropoulos makes the first flight in Greece. 13 May: Lt Dimitrios Kamberos flies the first military aircraft. 5 October: first Greek war reconnaissance, over Thessaly.
24 January: Moutoussis and Moraitinis fly a Maurice Farman seaplane over the Dardanelles and bomb the Turkish fleet, a mission the HAF calls the first naval co-operation mission in history.
8 June: the Breguet 19 HELLAS completes a 12,000 km Mediterranean flight in 20 days.
The Air Ministry is created under Venizelos and the air force becomes an independent third service; the academy follows in 1931 and the Air Staff in 1934.
28 October: Italy invades. The Royal Hellenic Air Force, with 79 combat aircraft against 380, fights for six months alongside the RAF.
April: the German invasion destroys most of the air force; survivors reach Egypt, where 335, 336 and 13 Squadrons are formed under RAF command.
November: seven C-47s of the 13th Transport Flight go to Korea; by May 1955 they fly 2,916 missions.
Greece joins NATO; 337 Squadron forms at Larissa as the first jet squadron, on F-84Gs.
April: the F-104G Starfighter enters service; F-5As follow in 1965, the first in Europe.
5 April: first F-4E Phantoms land at Andravida. 21–22 July: Operation Niki flies commandos to Cyprus; one Noratlas is shot down by Cypriot gunners.
A-7H Corsairs arrive at Souda, the first Mirage F1CGs land at Tanagra on 4 August, and C-130s join 356 Squadron in September.
The first Mirage 2000EG/BGs land at Tanagra; the first F-16C/D Block 30s reach Nea Anchialos in January 1989.
8 October: a Turkish F-16D is lost near Chios after an interception by Greek Mirage 2000s; Turkey’s defence minister later stated in 2012 it was shot down.
23 May: a Greek and a Turkish F-16 collide south-east of Karpathos; Flight Lieutenant Konstantinos Iliakis is killed.
7 or 17 October: the A-7 Corsair II is retired after 39 years (7 October per the HAF, 17 October per Wikipedia).
January: the first six Rafales land at Tanagra; the Mirage 2000EGM/BGM is withdrawn.
March: the defence minister announces the F-4 will retire and the Mirage 2000-5 and oldest F-16s will be sold. July: the Letter of Offer and Acceptance for 20 F-35As is signed.
4 March: Greece announces F-16s and frigates for Cyprus after Iranian strikes. 23 July: three C-390s approved. 5 September: an F-4E crashes at Athens Flying Week, killing both crew. 17 September: the 60th F-16V is delivered.
Every war the Hellenic Air Force has fought
Sorties and losses where the record gives them, and an honest blank where it does not.
- The Balkan Wars 1912–1913 Flew reconnaissance, dropped bombs on Bizani and supplies to besieged Ioannina, and flew a naval reconnaissance and bombing mission over the Turkish fleet
- First World War and the Asia Minor Campaign 1917–1922 Army and naval squadrons flew Allied-supplied reconnaissance, fighter and bomber types
- The Greco-Italian War and the German invasion 1940–1941 Fought the Italian air force over the Albanian front alongside RAF squadrons, then was largely destroyed by the Luftwaffe in April 1941
- With the RAF in North Africa, Italy and the Aegean 1941–1944 Three Greek squadrons flew fighter and light bomber missions as part of the RAF
- The Greek Civil War 1946–1949 Flew reconnaissance, ground attack and dive bombing against the Democratic Army of Greece
Hellenic Air Force news from Afterburner
Everything MiGFlug’s magazine has published on the Hellenic Air Force and the aircraft it flies. This list refreshes itself — new Afterburner stories appear here automatically.
Everything people ask about the Hellenic Air Force
What is the Hellenic Air Force called in Greek?
What fighter jets does the Hellenic Air Force fly in 2026?
Does Greece still fly the F-4 Phantom?
When will Greece get the F-35?
How many Rafales does Greece have?
What happened in the 2006 Greek-Turkish mid-air collision?
Did a Greek Mirage shoot down a Turkish F-16 in 1996?
How did the Greek air force fight in 1940?
Where are the Hellenic Air Force’s fighter bases?
Who flies Greece’s firefighting aircraft?
Read the aircraft the Hellenic Air Force flew
Every type with a page in the Book of Beasts, in service first, then by the year it left the fleet.
Every fact, checked
- Hellenic Air Force: Οπλοστάσιο (Greek-language arsenal page)Greek site title confirms the spelling Πολεμική Αεροπορία.
- Hellenic Air Force: The First Steps1911 Farman order; 8 February 1912 first flight; 13 May 1912 Kamberos; Aviators Company September 1912.
- Hellenic Air Force: Balkan Wars5 October 1912 reconnaissance; 24 January 1913 Dardanelles mission; Argyropoulos killed 4 April 1913.
- Hellenic Air Force: Inter-War PeriodAir Ministry 1930; academy 1931; Air Staff 1934; HELLAS flight 1928; types.
- Hellenic Air Force: South KoreaSeven C-47s, 67 personnel, 2,916 missions, two aircraft and 12 men lost, November 1950–May 1955.
- Hellenic Air Force: 1st Generation AircraftF-86 1954; F-84F 1957; Hellenic Flame 1957; Nike 1960; F-104G 1964; F-5 1965; F-102 1969; Noratlas; HU-16B.
- Hellenic Air Force: 2nd Generation AircraftF-4E April 1974; Operation Niki; A-7H 1975; Mirage F1CG 4 August 1975; C-130 September 1975; RF-4E 1979.
- Hellenic Air Force: 3rd Generation AircraftMirage 2000 1988; F-16 Block 30 January 1989; RF-84F retired 29 March 1991; Block 50 27 July 1997.
- Hellenic Air Force: Towards the 21st centuryPhantom upgrade, T-6A selection, Patriot and Crotale.
- Hellenic Air Force: Historical AircraftTypes by period, 1912–1987.
- Hellenic Air Force: Mirage 2000 EGM/BGM40 aircraft from 1988; 331 and 332 Squadrons at Tanagra.
- Hellenic Air Force: Mirage 2000-5 EGM/BGMTen existing aircraft upgraded by Hellenic Aerospace Industry.
- Hellenic Air Force Museum: InformationAt Dekelia Air Base, Tatoi; weekends 09:30–16:30; free.
- Hellenic Air Force: 110 Combat WingLarissa; F-16 Block 52+ and Pegasus II; 337 Squadron first jets 1952; RF-4E withdrawn 2017.
- Hellenic Air Force: 111 Combat WingNea Anchialos; F-16 Block 30/50; 330 Squadron 1989.
- Hellenic Air Force: 114 Combat WingTanagra; Mirage 2000-5 and Rafale F3R; first six Rafales January 2022.
- Hellenic Air Force: 115 Combat WingSouda; F-16 Block 52+; 340 and 343 Squadrons; Zeus team established 2010.
- Hellenic Air Force: 116 Combat WingAraxos; 335 and 336 Squadrons; F-16 Block 52+ Advanced; A-7 retired 2014.
- Hellenic Air Force: 117 Combat WingAndravida; first F-4E 5 April 1974; 338 Squadron; 339 ceased 31 October 2017.
- Hellenic Air Force: 120 Air Training WingKalamata; T-6A from August 2000; T-2E; T-37 suspended October 2002; M-346 arrived 11 May 2023.
- Hellenic Air Force: Chief of the Hellenic Air Force General StaffLt Gen Dimosthenis Grigoriadis, assumed duties 12 January 2024.
- GreekReporter: The New Military Leadership of Greece (12 January 2024)Grigoriadis appointed from Air Support Command.
- Greek City Times: Greece extends terms of military chiefs (11 January 2026)KYSEA extends service chiefs’ terms, including Grigoriadis.
- Hellenic National Defence General Staff: Air collision between military aircraft (23 May 2006)Collision at 12:45, 27,000 feet, 21 nm south-east of Karpathos, inside the Athens FIR.
- F-16.net: Greek F-16 and Turkish F-16 collide (May 2006)Aircraft involved; Iliakis killed; Özdemir rescued by a merchant ship.
- F-16.net: Turkish pilot convicted over F-16 collision (2009)Greek court convicts Özdemir in absentia of negligent manslaughter, 2 February 2009.
- Al Jazeera: Greek and Turkish fighter jets collide (23 May 2006)Greek and Turkish official positions, including Defence Minister Vecdi Gönül.
- ABC News: Greek, Turkish jets collide in interception moves (23 May 2006)Turkish military and Greek statements.
- MiGFlug Afterburner: F-4 Phantom crash at Athens Flying Week (September 2026)5 September 2026 at Tanagra; serial 01504; 338 Squadron; 16 F-4s remain.
- The Aviationist: Greek F-4 Phantom crashes during airshow near Athens (5 September 2026)Serial 01504, 338 Squadron; 17 F-4s in December 2025.
- Euronews: Two pilots killed in Phantom F-4 jet crash (5 September 2026)Two pilots killed at Tanagra during Athens Flying Week; remaining events cancelled.
- The Aviationist: PhanCon 2026 (11 June 2026)F-4E AUP with 338 Squadron at Andravida; service life ending soon.
- Breaking Defense: Greece signs deal for 20 F-35A fighters (July 2024)20 F-35As, $3.76 billion; deliveries 2028–2033; Andravida.
- The Aviationist: Greek F-35s possibly built in the US and Italy, first deliveries in 2028 (24 September 2024)27 months of training in the US; option for 20 more after 2030.
- To Vima: Greek DM Dendias: Air Force to sell off, retire older warplanes (27 March 2024)F-4 retirement; sale of Mirage 2000-5 and F-16 Block 30; Rafale fleet to 30.
- Zona Militar: Greece would negotiate with France the sale of its Mirage 2000-5 fighters for Ukraine (6 October 2025)Report based on Greek media; 25 aircraft; India sale stalled; support ends 2027.
- Defence Industry Europe: Greece selects Embraer C-390 Millennium in €600 million deal (July 2026)Three C-390s approved 23 July 2026; first 2027; via Portugal.
- Elbit Systems: First two M-346 aircraft land at the Hellenic International Flight Training Center in Kalamata (17 May 2023)Ten M-346s; 22-year training programme.
- Canadian Commercial Corporation: CCC, Greece sign contract for DHC-515 firefighting aircraft (March 2024)Seven DHC-515s, 24 March 2024.
- Greek City Times: Greek Air Force receives 60th F-16 Viper jet (17 September 2026)60th F-16V delivered at Tanagra; deliveries through 2027.
- Hellenic Aerospace Industry: F-16V deliveries pass halfway mark (23 September 2025)42nd of 84 F-16Vs delivered.
- Euronews: Greece to spend €25 billion over next decade on hi-tech overhaul of military (2 April 2025)Dendias presents plan to Parliament; Achilles Shield; F-35 retained.
- To Vima: Military training aircraft down in Kalamata – pilot dead (27 December 2023)T-2E of 363 Air Training Squadron crashed at 11:28, half a nautical mile north-west of the airport; HAF statement.
- Hellenic Air Force: 113 Combat WingSedes and Mikra timeline 1912–2006; CL-415; squadron list.
- Hellenic Air Force: 130 Combat GroupLimnos: PSP runway 1959; 130 Combat Group September 1974; independent 1 January 1977.
- Hellenic Air Force: 133 Combat GroupKasteli: 1940 origins; German use 1941–1943; 133 Combat Group July 1974; runway works 1995–1997.
- Hellenic Air Force: 135 Combat GroupSkyros: construction from May 1975; first landing 3 July 1978; 135 Combat Group December 1981; alert aircraft from 15 February 1982.
- Hellenic Air Force: Hellenic Tactical Air ForceHeadquarters in the city of Larissa.
- Hellenic Air Force: 340 SquadronFormed 18 April 1953 at 112 Combat Wing; at Souda from 4 February 1960; F-16 Block 52+ from 3 March 2003.
- Hellenic Air Force: 341 SquadronVelos; F-86E 1954, F-5 1965, F-16 Block 50 1998.
- Hellenic Air Force: 352 VIP Transport SquadronElefsis; established 1957; Falcon 7X October 2021.
- Hellenic Air Force: 354 Tactical Airlift SquadronNoratlas 16 May 1970 to 18 April 1982; Operation Niki; C-27J from 3 January 2005.
- Hellenic Air Force: 355 Tactical Transport SquadronC-47 from 1947 at the Hellenic Airport, then Elefsis; Korea 1950; CL-215 from December 1975; flight 355.1 to Sedes 1984.
- Hellenic Air Force: 358 Search and Rescue SquadronElefsis from 10 December 1984; split into three units 28 February 2006.
- Institute of Current World Affairs: Amid regional instability, the oldest US military installation in Greece gets an upgradeNSA Souda Bay: 1969 detachment, NSA 1980, MDCA 1990 and 2021, about 1,000 people, shared runway.
- Hellenic Air Force: Air Tactics CenterMission; formed July 1983; Joint Electronic Warfare School 1987; syllabus change 1990.
- Hellenic Air Force: 337 SquadronOfficial squadron history: established 30 March 1948; to Larissa with F-84G October 1952; first HAF aerobatic flight 1953; F-4E from September 1978; F-16 Block 52+ decision 15 May 2006; call sign GHOST.
- Hellenic Air Force: 343 SquadronCall sign STAR; formed September 1955 at Elefsis on F-86E; F-86D 1961; F-5A/B March 1966; suspended March 2001; reactivated at Souda 21 July 2003 with F-16C/D Block 52+.
- GlobalSecurity.org: Souda BayUSS Tallahatchie County 1962–1969; detachment commissioned 28 May 1969 with 16 people; 96 people 1972; NSA 1 October 1980; reconnaissance support from December 1990; 227 people 1994; about 110 acres; runway 11,738 ft.
- NATO Missile Firing Installation (NAMFI)Multinational agreement signed by eight allied countries in 1964; current user nations Greece, Germany and the Netherlands; club overlooking Souda Bay.
- NATO Maritime Interdiction Operational Training CentreThe only NATO education and training facility dedicated to the maritime domain; at Souda Naval Base on Akrotiri; officially established in 2008.
- The Aviationist: Greece and Israel will establish a joint flight school with T-6 Texan II and M-346 Master trainer aircraft (7 January 2021)EUR 1.375 billion over 22 years; Elbit announcement of a USD 1.68 billion programme; leased M-346s; T-6 maintenance; T-2E support ending 2023.
- OurAirports airport database (public domain)
Figures verified 2026-09-29. Order of Battle pages are regenerated from a single dataset; if a number here disagrees with a Book of Beasts page, this page is the more recent of the two.
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