The Minister of National Defence attends the Hellenic Air Force event to celebrate 50 years of F-4 Aircrafts service

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The Minister of National Defence attends the Hellenic Air Force event to celebrate 50 years of F-4 Aircrafts service

August 28, 2024

The Minister of National Defence Mr. Nikos Dendias, accompanied by the Chief/HNDGS General Dimitrios Choupisand the Chief/HAFGS Lieutenant General Dimosthenis Grigoriadis, attended on Wednesday 28 August 2024 the event at the 117 Combat Wing in Andravida on the occasion of the celebration of 50 years of service of F-4 Aircrafts.

The Minister of National Defence attended the Doxology and the Memorial Service, as well as an audiovisual material on the training and operational activities of legendary F-4 Aircrafts. Then, Mr. Dendias had the opportunity to tour the premises of the 338 Squadron.

The event was attended by the Deputy Minister of Citizen Protection Andreas Nikolakopoulos, the MP for Ileia Region Dionysia Zisimou - Avgerinopoulou, the Chief of the Hellenic Tactical Air Force Lieutenant General Panagiotis Georgakopoulosand the Ambassador of Greece in the United Kingdom Ioannis Tsaousis, together with his father Lieutenant General (ret.) Vasileios Tsaousis, the most senior surviving Commander of the 117 Combat Wing. The event was also attended by Honorary Chiefs HAFGS and HTAF, former Commanders and members that served at the 338 Squadron, as well as relatives of fallen aircrew members and representatives of the Church and Local Administration.

In his address, the Minister of National Defence noted the following:

"Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am exceptionally honoured to be here today, at the 177 Combat Wing in Andravida. A memorable day for our Air Force that marks 50 years of service of F-4 Phantom aircrafts, a legendary aircraft that has served effectively our Country.

It highlighted and strengthened our potential, our deterrent impact. However, today we are also celebrating something else equally important. The passing into a new era, the F-35 era, the most sophisticated multirole combat aircraft on the planet.

The F-35 aircraft will ensure that the Hellenic Air Force will continue to be included among the most modern air forces in the world. And that they will continue to defend effectively the sovereignty and sovereign rights of Greece in the future, as in the past.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

First of all, we are here today to remind you of how it all started on Friday 5 April 1974, when the first six F-4 Phantom aircrafts landed here, at the 177 Combat Wing.

And to remind younger people of all the moments when people and machines became one for the protection of the Country, recording endless hours of flight and to honour all those who contributed to this effort.

I would like to make specific reference to the most senior surviving Commander of the 177 Combat Wing, Lieutenant General (ret.) Vasileios Tsaousis. As well as to the current Commander, Colonel Christos Spyropoulos, but also to refer to the personnel - even if it is impossible for reasons of time to repeat all the names - to hundreds if not thousands of people who served at F-4 aircrafts all those years in Andravida.

And of course, our thoughts are always with those who have lost their lives. With the 24 fallen crew members, who sacrificed their lives defending our Country and thus, creating for us an ark of sacred heritage. Reminder of our obligation to safeguard whatever was delivered to us and whatever we created; in other words, the entire sovereignty and sovereign rights of our Country under the Constitution and in accordance with our traditions.

Nevertheless, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to get back to the future, because today's event is not just a recall of memories; it is something more than this, a call for optimism and confidence for the future.

A concrete step in the "2030 Agenda"; namely in an effort to create the most powerful Armed Forces in the History of Hellenism.

The plan of action in the context of "2030 Agenda" aims for the Hellenic Air Force to possess 200 modern 4.5 and 5^thgeneration aircrafts, comprised of F-16 Viper, Rafale and F-35 aircraft, gradually phasing out 3^rdand 4^thgeneration aircrafts.

Upon acquisition of F-35 aircrafts that will be hosted here in Andravida Air Base, whose premises will be upgraded radically, we make a solid step towards the future that is funded through the Greek people's deprived income.

As member of the Government, I fully understand the concerns expressed by some people in relation to the high cost of acquisition of F-35 aircrafts. However, ladies and gentlemen, the cost of National Independence, the cost of safeguarding our sovereignty and sovereign rights and finally the cost of freedom cannot be measured in money and there can be no development and welfare without security.

If we keep up with the news lately and the effort by other countries in the region - and not necessarily countries that have no claims against Greece - to participate in the F-35 programme, everyone realizes how correct was the Government's decision to proceed with the acquisition of these state-of-the-art aircrafts.

The aircrafts that offer our Country an advantage, a qualitative superiority to the continuous and long-term effort to ensure independence, sovereignty and our sovereign rights.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

F-4 has successfully completed its mission. However, it will continue to offer in other ways. First of all, by providing its weapons, its modern weapons, to new, newer aircrafts. Moreover, by providing us the opportunity to deploy its skilled human resources in other positions to cover operational needs, in accordance with the recommendations of the Hellenic Air Force General Staff. In other words, by saving human and economic resources to a large extent.

Approximately 30 million euro will be saved annually and 228 technicians and 17 operators - a valuable and absolutely necessary personnel - will be used to cover our needs.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Andravida passes today into a new era; an era of reorganization and great upgrading of new premises for the F-35 aircraft, the most sophisticated 5^thgeneration aircraft on the planet. In this way, we guarantee not only the future of the Base, the Squadron, but something much greater and important: that Greece will remain powerful, strong, a stable and reliable peace factor in the region, a factor that promotes security in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean Sea.

It is recognized that the mission of the crews all these years was difficult. It often took courage, professionalism and self-denial to support these resources for half a century, for us to be able to have the required maximum operational availability.

Therefore, I would like to congratulate and I feel obliged to do so on behalf of the Government, but also thank all former Commanders for their contribution to the Country. But also, the entire flying and technical personnel of the 117 Combat Wing for their continuous and adequate response in high-level tasks.

They have made an essential contribution to the protection of national laws, territorial integrity and sovereignty of Greece.

Thank you very much".