page_title: Hellenic Air Force
section_title: Recent years and future plans
hierarchical_section_title: Hellenic Air Force / History / Recent years and future plans
caption_attribution_description: C130 Hercules - RIAT 2007
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: Due to the retirement and obsolescence of units that have ended their operational cycle (A-7E Corsair II and F-4 Phantom II), the HAF was looking forward to acquiring new 4th, 4.5th or 5th generation fighters and at the same time maintain a total number of 300 advanced fighters, according to the Supreme Air Force Council "2007–2012 operational planning" study which was published in 2007. Candidates for the new generation aircraft were the Dassault Rafale, F-35 Lightning II, F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, MiG-35 and the Sukhoi Su-35.
  During the Greek economic crisis, budget cuts (2011–2013) forced HAF to ground many of its F-16s due to lack of spare parts and maintenance. Eventually in 2015, Greece requested from the U.S. Government to provide spare parts in support of its F-16, F/RF-4E, C-130H/B, C-27J, T-6A/C, and other aircraft with systems/subsystems of U.S. origin. The estimated cost of this order was $160 million. In addition, past budget cuts, although did not have any significant impact on HAF capabilities, delayed some long-awaited programs for the future. The HAF modernization program estimated in 2007 that a purchase of 45 advance training aircraft, 15 SAR helicopters and 40–60 new fighters was necessary. Some of these programs have either been cancelled or delayed.
  To fill the gap, HAF has dedicated resources for the upgrade of the fleet of its existing Mirage 2000 and F-16 fighters. As of 2018, Lockheed Martin has been contracted to upgrade 84 F-16C/D Block 52+ and Block 52+ Advanced (Block 52M) to the latest F-16V Block 70/72 (F-16 Viper) standard, bringing capabilities to the fleet only available in 5th generation fighters such as the F-35 Lightning II. This upgrade has also been considered by HAF as an essential first step for future compatibility with the F-35 fighter, in case Greece eventually decides this purchase. While HAF's earlier F-16C/D Block 30 and Block 50 aircraft are not included in the upgrade, they are expected to receive equipment donated from the upgraded platforms. The upgrade program is scheduled to be completed by 2027.
  In July 2016 the upgrade of 6 stored Lockheed P-3B Orion naval support aircraft started, extending the lifetime of 4 airframes to at least 2025. The first upgraded aircraft was delivered in May 2019 and was assigned, as with all other 3 upgrades, to the Navy Aviation Command of the Hellenic Navy, therefore no longer under the command of the Hellenic Air Force.
  In April 2019, new developments suggested that, as part of the selection process for the new HAF advanced fighter, Greece was indeed considering the Lockheed Martin F-35 as a replacement of its older F-16 Block 30s or F-4 Phantoms and as complementary to the F-16V upgrade program, but the acquisition of the new aircraft would depend on the country's fiscal plans and Washington's ability to offer a long-term payment framework. At the same time, the US Pentagon confirmed Greece as one of 5 countries to be considered as potential new customers. In January 2020, Greece formally expressed interest in acquiring the F-35 and participating in the F-35 program, following a visit by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to the White House.  A figure of 20 aircraft was floated, to be acquired no earlier than 2024, following successful completion of the upgrading of the Greek F-16 fleet.
caption: A Hellenic Air Force C-130 Hercules in Fairford, England.
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