# Crete Naval Base

Crete Naval Base (Greek: Ναύσταθμος Κρήτης, Nafstathmos Kritis) is a major naval base of the Hellenic Navy and NATO at Souda Bay in Crete, Greece.
Formally known in NATO as Naval Support Activity, Souda Bay (NSA-Souda Bay), and more commonly in Greece as the Souda Naval Base (Greek: Ναυτική Βάση Σούδας, Naftiki Vasi Soudas), it serves as the second largest (in numbers of warships harboured) naval base of the Hellenic Navy and the largest and most prominent naval base for NATO in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Additionally, it features the only deep water port in Southern Europe and the Mediterranean Sea that is suitable and capable of maintaining the largest aircraft carriers (class "supercarriers"). The only other such options available for the US Navy are Norfolk Naval Station and the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in the United States and the Port of Jebel Ali, Emirate of Dubai in the Persian Gulf.

## History

Souda is a naturally protected harbor on the northwest coast of the island of Crete, founded for the first time during the Ottoman period, in 1872.
During World War II and the Battle of Greece, the harbor was the target of an Italian raid against the Allied navy as part of the Mediterranean Campaign.
After the war, the naval base was founded, around the same period with Greece's entry into the North Atlantic Alliance.

## Facilities

The Naval Base of Souda Bay occupies an area of 500 hectares (1,200 acres), including the old artillery barracks of the Hellenic Army's 5th Infantry Division as well as later land acquisitions. The facilities include a dry dock, workshops, a fuel depot and an ammunition depot. The Naval Station is commanded by a Commodore or Captain of the Hellenic Navy. The Forward Logistics Site Souda Bay (FLS Souda Bay) was under the operational control of NATO's Allied Naval Forces Southern Europe (COMNAVSOUTH), until 2013. Since then, it is under the control of the Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM) which replaced NAVSOUTH. The Hellenic Navy radio communications station SXH has also been located at Mournies, near Souda, since 1929. The Κ-14, a deep-water quay, is the only of its kind in the Mediterranean Sea that allows the aircraft carriers to dock.
Since 2007, the Souda Bay Naval Base is host of the NATO Maritime Interdiction Operational Training Centre (ΝMIOTC), which is located at the Northern Sector of the base (Marathi).

## Based units

Since 2020, the USS Hershel "Woody" Williams, a Lewis B. Puller-class expeditionary mobile base, of the United States Navy, is deployed to Crete Naval Base.

## Gallery

* The American aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) sails out of the Souda Bay harbor in Crete, Greece, following a four-day port visit to Greece's largest island.
* Greek line handlers assist as Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Forrest Sherman (DDG-98) arrives in Greece for the first port visit of her maiden deployment.
* The Naval Support Activity Souda Bay's Security Department soldiers stand a security watch in front of the French aircraft carrier FS Charles DeGaulle (R 91) as it docks at the Marathi NATO pier facility in Souda Bay.
* A Hellenic navy special operations forces instructor, right, conducts small arms training with U.S. Sailors aboard the Hellenic navy training ship Aris (A-74) at the NATO Maritime Interdiction Operational Training Centre in Souda Bay, Crete
* Sailors conduct mooring operations as the fast-attack submarine USS Albany (SSN-753) arrives in Souda Bay for a routine port visit.
* Greek Navy Warrant Officer Alexander Tsaltas demonstrates tactical sweep techniques for U.S. Marines with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit's maritime interception operations assault force aboard the training ship HNS Aris in Souda Bay, Crete, Greece
* A U.S. Navy and Hellenic Navy in training exercise at the NATO Maritime Interdiction Operational Training Center in Souda Bay, Crete, May 12, 2012, during Phoenix Express 2012, a two-week exercise and cooperation among partners from Africa, Europe and United States.
* A U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft pilot taxis to the flight line in Souda Bay, Greece, Aug. 18, 2014, during a training event between Greece and the United States.
* A Qatar Emiri Air Force Dassault Mirage 2000-5 fighter jet takes off as part of a Joint Task Force Odyssey Dawn mission, at Souda Bay.
* Nike-Hercules firing at NAMFI by 220 Squadron RNLAF, from Souda Bay, Greece
* The Royal Navy during World War II, harboured in Souda Bay.