Greece Air-Force Greek Rafale Program

Test7

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The four Greek pilots in the cockpits of Rafale​


The Rafale is described as the completely pilot-friendly fighter and of course the "gunpowder-smoked" Greek pilots have so far not faced the slightest problem in in-aircraft training.


The four Greek pilots in the Rafale cockpits are already "swallowing" the first miles in the French sky. The training of the pilots of the Air Force in the "nest" of the French "Delta Wings" has both metaphorically and literally "taken off" with our pilots having already passed to the next stage which provides the familiarity in the air with the fighter. Initially together with the French trainers and gradually "solo" with the Greek "hawks" alone in the fighters. And it may seem logical for the three Greek pilots who come from Mirage to "learn" faster in the secrets of Rafale, however, according to information, the progress of the fourth pilot who previously flew with an F-16 is equally impressive.. The "frame" of the Greek aviators has so far stolen the impressions with the zeal with which it has devoted itself to education. The first theoretical lessons in the halls were completed with excellent results and not just on schedule but completely according to the planning of the training and the HAF pilots gradually switched to the simulator but also to the fighters, as reported by Costas Sarikas in newpost.gr.

The Rafale is described as the absolutely pilot-friendly fighter and of course the "gunpowder-smoked" Greek pilots have so far not faced the slightest problem in the training inside the aircraft. After all, the experience in the particularly demanding Aegean and the almost daily state of absolute vigilance on which the "hawks" of HAF are "nurtured" for decades now are a "passport" to successfully pass every test. They keep their heads down as they know that difficulties and great challenges lie ahead. After the familiarity in the air will follow the "war" preparation where the pilots will enter into air combat processes of all kinds. Initially in small formations and then in complex conditions of high difficulty. There they will learn the "secrets" of the Rafale, the high capabilities of the fighter, the armament and its modern electronic systems such as the Aesa radar and the Spectra self-defense system. However, according to the first impressions, the feeling that the Greek pilots have is that in the difficult and demanding environment of the Aegean, the Rafale is the ideal fighter to give complete air superiority to the Air Force.

According to the plan, the first four pilots will be the trainers for the next eight HAF pilots who will be the new trainee pilots in Rafale in the near future . According to information, they will also go to France in the near future to start the "fast-paced" courses. The goal is for the first Rafale War Squadron in Greece in 2022, the 332nd "Falcon" Squadron to have twelve pilots ready to fly the first of a total of 18 French fighters that will already be received by the Air Force.

However, apart from the pilots, the "heart" of the new Squadron will be the technical staff who will also have the responsibility to fly the Rafale with the Greek Coat of Arms on their wings armed and safely. The results of the training of the technicians so far, according to the information from France, are correspondingly impressive . Inside the rooms and in the hangars of the Air Base in Mont De Marsan, they "radiograph" and study every part of the fighter until the last screw.

 

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Greece is reportedly focusing on acquiring six more French Rafale fighters, shortly after the signing of the Greek-French agreement for the purchase of 18 Rafale.

According to Proto Thema, the government is planning to buy new French fighters, increasing the total to 24 Rafale jets.

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It is recalled that deal for the acquisition of the 18 Rafale fighter jets was made in January.

Regarding the Greece-France agreement already made, the first six used Rafale aircraft are expected to start arriving in July, while six new aircraft will arrive in the spring of 2022, and the last six used will be received on early 2023.

 
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Aerial shield in the Aegean with six other Rafale- Decisions for frigates and helicopters​


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A total of 24 French fighters that will fly over the Archipelago - Until the end of May and the final decisions for the 4 new frigates - What are the data of each proposal - And new torpedoes for the German submarines​


The government is concluding the decision to acquire six more French Rafale type fighters according to cross-referenced information that protothema.gr has. In the summer of 2020, in the midst of the crisis caused by Tayyip Erdogan by launching the research ship "Oruc Reis" for work south of Kastelorizo, Greece turned to France asking to buy 18 Rafale fighter jets with rapid procedures to strengthen the Air Force.

The Greek-French agreement provided for the start of delivery of Rafale as soon as possible: six used from July 2021 until the end of the year, the next six new ones in 2022 and the last six used by Armee de l'Air in the second half of 2023. In this way the Air Force will acquire a squadron of ready-made French fighter jets at a cost of 1.92 billion euros, a price to which will be added another 400 million for their weapons.


In recent days, however, top government officials have been planning to expand the order by purchasing six more Rafale fighter jets. "A squadron of war has at least 18 fighter jets. A good number for a war squadron is 24 ", explains to protothema.gr a top military source. Government officials in charge of studying and implementing decisions to arm the Armed Forces with new weapons systems while maintaining and increasing the availability of those currently in their arsenal believe that with the acquisition of six more twin-engine 33 Rafale, A squadron, which will include all French fighters, will become the spearhead of the Air Force.

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The total cost

Based on the price agreed to be paid for the purchase of the 12 used + 6 new Rafale, it is estimated that the activation of the decision to acquire six more French fighters will cost the State about 800 million euros. Although the 18 Rafale purchase contract, finalized in December 2020, did not provide for the option of purchasing additional fighters, the procedures for completing the deal will probably not be delayed as the new deal will be based on the model of the existing deal.


Perhaps the main reason why Rafale is considered a "game changer" is their weapons. The Mica, Exocet and Scalp missiles that can be carried by the Mirage 2000-5 will also be "worn" by the Rafale. The market for Meteor missiles is expected to make an even bigger difference in favor of the Greek wings. The first four flying Air Force officers selected to train at Rafale are already at the Mont de Marsan base in France. Starting with theoretical training in the handling of twin-engine French fighters, they will continue with lessons in simulators and then start flying.

These are pilots with much more than 500 flight hours each in Mirage and Air Force F-16s, who were selected for the team of first top gun pilots who will be trained to operate the Rafale and then become the first Greek trainers in the twin-engine French fighters for the next pilots. At the base of Mont de Marsan is the team of 10 Air Force technicians who will undertake the very critical field of maintenance and support in the territory of the new French fighters.

The "naval battle" for the new ships


By the end of May, the decision will be made for the four new frigates of the Navy, shipyards that will go with the modernization of the four frigates MEKO type of the Navy, while the supply of two more frigates in 2022-2023 is foreseen as an intermediate solution. to meet the needs of the Fleet.

"We are waiting for the answer and the prices that the Americans and the Italians will offer in order to gather all the proposals and make the decision", said to "THEMA" a person with knowledge of the process for the selection of the company that will undertake the construction of the four new frigates for the Navy. This is a colossal project that can reach 5 billion euros (along with the modernization of the frigates "Hydra", "Spetsai", "Psara" and "Salamis" and the two ships of the intermediate solution).

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With today's data, there does not seem to be any "superman" who makes someone an undisputed favorite. The proposals of the Netherlands, the United States and then France and Britain seem to have the upper hand. The Dutch price from 700-900 million each of the offered frigates and commit to deliver in 30 months the two ships of the intermediate solution. The French proposal for 4 Belh @ rra (or FDI) with modernization of the four MEKOs and free concession of the French frigates "Jean Bart" and "Latouche Treville" costs a little over 4 billion euros. The Germans offer the A200 or A300 frigates, with an alternative to two 214 type submarines at a price of 4-6 billion euros, but do not offer an intermediate solution. Final prices for American and Italian frigates are expected.

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The four Spanish F-110 frigates cost around 5 billion euros. A competitive price is offered by the British, who cost the four Arrowhead frigates around 2 billion euros, but without their weapons. Approximately 110 million euros will be allocated for the purchase of 36 heavy-duty torpedoes for German submarines type 214 ("Papanikolis"). which offered the Navy superiority after being proved "invisible" by Turkish frigates during the "Oruc Reis" crisis. At the same time, in 2021, the delivery of the seven American anti-submarine helicopters of the Romeo type begins, with a total cost of approximately 500 million euros.

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ANGMAR

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do really more of rafales can give the greeks the advantage over turkey with the presence of the s-400 ?
 

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do really more of rafales can give the greeks the advantage over turkey with the presence of the s-400 ?

Yes, Rafale's are excellent aircraft. Turkey will be at a severe disadvantage and should be looking to buy some second-hand aircraft to fill the gap that's emerging - IMO.
 

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Yes, Rafale's are excellent aircraft. Turkey will be at a severe disadvantage and should be looking to buy some second-hand aircraft to fill the gap that's emerging - IMO.

Is the Eurofighter Typhoon the way to go as a syop gap solution??

Russian and Chinese jets are off the menu.

French wont sell us Rafales while the American wont sell us anything the F15EX could be a great stop gap solution but wont happen neither will they sell us the F16V.
 

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Is the Eurofighter Typhoon the way to go as a syop gap solution??

Russian and Chinese jets are off the menu.

French wont sell us Rafales while the American wont sell us anything the F15EX could be a great stop gap solution but wont happen neither will they sell us the F16V.

I wouldn't write off Russian and Chinese jets honestly, if no one is selling then the only route left are those two options. Anything else would have a European or American link - which is what I would like to see be avoided.
 

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I wouldn't write off Russian and Chinese jets honestly, if no one is selling then the only route left are those two options. Anything else would have a European or American link - which is what I would like to see be avoided.

Dont you think the Russians and the Chinese would play the same strings game against Turkiye.

I mean how can Turkey get its air force compatible with Russian jets arent they different?? Turkish mainly used American or European jets mostly American especially with this whole nato thing.
 

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Now that the F-35 incident is over, I wonder why they haven't deployed the S-400 in the Aegean. If the government cannot implement its policy, why is it defending. If a decision has been made and it has consequences for us, it should be worth it.
 

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Dont you think the Russians and the Chinese would play the same strings game against Turkiye.

I mean how can Turkey get its air force compatible with Russian jets arent they different?? Turkish mainly used American or European jets mostly American especially with this whole nato thing.

I'm suggesting a stop-gap solution, once Turkey develops the necessary aircraft to fill gaps. Chinese and Russian strings would not have much meaning, plus I'm sure they would be honoured for a NATO member to be buying their aircrafts

Turkey has it's own data-link, where Link 16 and 22 can communicate with it - we can install NATO V/UHF radio communication too to those aircraft. That's not much of an issue.
 

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Now that the F-35 incident is over, I wonder why they haven't deployed the S-400 in the Aegean. If the government cannot implement its policy, why is it defending. If a decision has been made and it has consequences for us, it should be worth it.

Why would the government tell you when it's activated or where it will be stationed and used? That kind of defeats the purpose of having such mobile systems.
 

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French planemaker Dassault Aviation on Wednesday delivered the first Rafale fighter jet to the Hellenic Air Force (HAF) in a ceremony at the company’s flight test center in Istres, southern France.

The event was attended by Greek Defense Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos and General Konstantinos Floros, Chief of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff (GEETHA).

The delivery of the first jet came six months after Greece signed a 2.5 billion euro deal with France to buy 18 Rafale warplanes, 12 of them used.

According to the company, the first six aircraft will be used to further train the HAF pilots and technicians in Dassault’s conversion training center in Merignac before they are deployed to the Tanagra base near Athens.

“The Rafale will provide the HAF with a latest-generation multirole fighter, enabling the Hellenic Republic to ensure its geostrategic stance in full sovereignty,” Dassault said in a statement.

“The delivery of the first Rafale is a clear demonstration of France’s determination to meet the government of the Hellenic Republic’s expectations and to participate actively [in protecting] the sovereignty of the country,” it said.

“Following the Mirage F1 in 1974, the Mirage 2000 in 1985 and the Mirage 2000-5 in 2000, the Rafale is now proudly flying with the Hellenic Air Force colors,” said Dassault chairman and CEO Eric Trappier, describing the Rafale as a “strategic game changer” for Greece.

“[The Rafale] will play an active role by securing Greece’s leadership as a major regional power,” he said.

 

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