Greece is a close partner and key NATO Ally with which the United States shares a deep and abiding security partnership. Its commitment to the Alliance and location at the crossroads of the Western Balkans, North Africa, the Middle East, and NATO’s southeastern flank makes Greece a particularly important strategic ally. Since 2018, Greece and the United States have held an annual Strategic Dialogue at the ministerial level, with sessions devoted to defense and security issues. We appreciate the Greek government’s steadfast commitment to regional stability, particularly in its support for U.S. and Allied military operations, including NATO operations in Libya, Afghanistan, and Kosovo, and maritime counterterrorism and counterpiracy efforts.
Greece’s continued support for the Naval Support Activity — Souda Bay on the island of Crete ensures reliable U.S. access to one of the largest deep-water ports in the Mediterranean. At Souda Bay, Greece also hosts the NATO Missile Firing Installation, where NATO Allies like Germany and the Netherlands have tested their air defense, air-to-air, and air-to-ground missiles since 1967, and the NATO Maritime Interdiction Operations Training Center, where NATO Allies and partners train to execute surface, sub-surface, aerial surveillance, and special operations activities in support of maritime interdiction operations. Finally, on January 25, 2021, the North Atlantic Council approved the activation of the NATO Integrated Air and Missile Defense (NATO IAMD) Centre of Excellence at Souda to enhance interoperability and support the development and exploitation of the IAMD capabilities of NATO Allies and Partners to safeguard and protect Alliance territory, populations, and forces against air and missile threats.
The United States has $11.29 billion in active government-to-government sales cases with Greece under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) system. FMS cases notified to Congress are listed here. Recent and/or significant past sales include an upgrade of 84 F-16 aircraft to “V” configuration, the purchase of seven MH-60R “Seahawk” helicopters, and a modernization package for the Hellenic Navy’s 11 S-70B “Aegean Hawk” helicopters. In addition to its F-16V upgrades, the Hellenic Air Force plans to procure fifth-generation fighter aircraft and Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA). The Hellenic Army plans to acquire Assault Amphibious Vehicles (AAV) and to upgrade its long-range precision fires, air defense, and its attack and utility helicopter fleets. The Hellenic Navy plans to upgrade its MEKO-class frigates and will soon be receiving four U.S. Coast Guard Island Class patrol boats via the Excess Defense Articles (EDA) program.
Since 2017, Greece has received more than $282 million worth of military equipment through the Excess Defense Articles (EDA) program, including 1,200 U.S. Army M-1117 armored security vehicles, 70 OH-58D Kiowa Warriors, 10 CH-47 Chinook helicopters, and four Mark V Special Operations Craft, and four Island Class Patrol Boats.
From FY 2019 through FY 2021, the United States also authorized the permanent export of more than $465 million in defense articles to Greece via Direct Commercial Sales (DCS). The top categories of DCS to Greece were military electronics ($231.2 million), gas turbine engines and associated equipment ($34.7 million), and aircraft and related articles ($20.2 million).
In FY 2022, the Department of State provided $30 million to Greece in Foreign Military Financing. The funding represents the latest commitment to Greece’s security, especially in light of the challenging security environment in Europe caused by Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
From FY 2017 to FY 2022, the Department also provided over $4.3 million in International Military Education and Training (IMET) funds for Greek military personnel to participate in professional military education and technical training courses alongside their U.S. military counterparts. Since 1970, 9751 Greek security forces have received formal training from the United States, including 2,459 through the IMET program.
The United States and Greece have the following defense cooperation agreements: The General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) of 1986, the Defense Industrial Cooperation Agreement (DICA) of 1986, the NATO Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) of 1951, the Comprehensive Technical Agreement (CTA) of 2001, and the Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement (MDCA) of 1990. The MDCA was updated in 2019 and again in 2021 to improve flexibility and access for U.S. forces in Greece and reflect the enduring nature of our defense cooperation. The MDCA enables U.S.-Greek interoperability, enhancing NATO’s ability to protect its southeastern flank.
Greece is a strong and long-standing contributor to United Nations (UN), NATO, and regional peacekeeping operations, including Operation Althea in Bosnia and Herzegovina and NATO’s KFOR mission in Kosovo. Since 2000, Greece has operated the Multinational Peace Support Operations Training Center (MPOTC) under the NATO Partnership for Peace Program. The MPOTC provides both academic and field training to national and multinational personnel, including courses on topics ranging from UN Peacekeeping and the Law of Armed Conflict, to IED awareness, patrolling, and communication procedures and NATO reporting systems. As of May 31, 2022, Greece contributes 110 officers and troops to UNIFIL. Fourteen of these are female.
According to the Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor, legacy contamination of explosive remnants of war consists of booby-traps and unexploded ordnance remaining from World War II and from the 1946–1949 civil conflict in Western Macedonia and Epirus. In 2014, the Hellenic Army declared the island of Rhodes to be mine impact-free. Since 2015, the Army has also conducted demining, explosive ordnance destruction, and counter-IED training with their military counterparts from Romania, Bosnia, Iraq, Jordan, and Egypt.
Greece participates in multiple bilateral and multilateral military exercises with the United States, to include Thracian Cooperation, Stolen Cerberus, Trojan Footprint, Poseidon’s Rage, Orion, Iniochos, Defender Europe, and Alexander the Great. On an annual basis, the Armed Forces of the United States and Greece jointly participate in more than 15 major military exercises. Since 2018, thousands of our soldiers, Marines, sailors, airmen, and special operators have trained together to increase our combined interoperability, adaptability, warfighting capability, and resilience. These engagements have helped make Greece a more capable Ally and increased regional defense cooperation.
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