page_title: Hellenic Air Force
section_title: Modernization (1980–1997)
hierarchical_section_title: Hellenic Air Force / History / Modernization (1980–1997)
caption_attribution_description: Greek Air Force LTV TA-7C Corsair II departs RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire, England, on 14th July 2014, after the Royal International Air Tattoo. LTV is Ling-Temco-Vought. (The file name has a typo, the aircraft is a 7C not a 7G).
context_page_description: The Hellenic Air Force is the air force of Greece with Hellenic being the synonym for Greek in the Greek language. Under the Kingdom of Greece from 1935 to 1973, it was known as the Royal Hellenic Air Force.
  The Hellenic Air Force is one of the three branches of the Hellenic Armed Forces, and its mission is to guard and protect Greek airspace, provide air assistance and support to the Hellenic Army and the Hellenic Navy and to provide humanitarian aid in Greece and around the world. The Hellenic Air Force includes approximately 33,000 active troops, of whom 11,750 are career officers, 14,000 are professional conscripts, 7,250 are volunteer conscripts and 1,100 are women. The motto of the Hellenic Air Force is the ancient Greek phrase Αἰὲν Ὑψικρατεῖν, and the HAF ensign represents a flying eagle in front of the Hellenic Air Force roundel.
context_section_description: Until the late 1980s the Air Force deployed missiles armed with U.S. nuclear warheads using the LTV TA-7C Corsair II. As a result of Greco-Turkish tension around the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus, the U.S. removed its nuclear weapons from Greek and Turkish alert units to storage. Greece saw this as another pro-Turkish move by NATO and withdrew its forces from NATO's military command structure from 1974 to 1980.
  In March 1985 the Greek government announced the purchase of 34 F-16C and 6 F-16D Block 30 variant in the “Peace Xenia I” modernisation program. In the same month Greece ordered 36 single-seat Mirage 2000EG and 4 two-seat Mirage 2000BG, as part of the “Talos” modernization program.
  Subsequently, in 1989, the first fourth-generation fighters were introduced, marking the beginning of a new era: the first Mirage 2000 EG/BG aircraft were delivered to the 114 Combat Wing in Tanagra airforce base and equipped the 331 and 332 squadrons. In January 1989 the first F-16C/D Block 30 arrived in 111 combat wing in Nea Anchialos airforce base and were allocated to the 330 "Thunder" and 346 "Jason" interceptor squadrons in Larissa airforce base.
  On March 29, 1991, the RF-84F were retired from service after 34 years and 7 months of operational life. In November 1992 more RF-4Es were delivered to the 348 "Eyes" Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron.
  In 1993 the “Peace Xenia II” modernisation program began. Greece ordered 32 F-16C and 8 F-16D, Block 50 variant. The first Block 50 was delivered on July 25, 1997. These aircraft, equipped with the LANTIRN navigation and targeting pod as well as AIM-120 AMRAAM and AGM-88 HARM missiles, were allocated to the 341 "Arrow" and 347 "Perseus" squadrons in Nea Anchialos airforce base. The basic mission of 341 "Arrow" squadron is Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD). The role of 347 "Perseus" squadron is air-to-ground missions.
caption: HAF TA-7C Corsair II departs from the Royal International Air Tattoo, England (2014)
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