Ministry Defence Greece, March 20, 2024 - On March 20, 2024, in the presence of the Prime Minister Mr Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the Minister of National Defence Mr Nikos Dendias, the reception and incorporation ceremony of three new type Romeo MH-60R Helicopters in the Naval Air Force Command was held by the Hellenic Navy in the Helicopter Base HN, in Kotroni, Marathon.
The ceremony was also attended by MP Nikolaos Vlachakos as representative of the House Speaker, the Deputy Minister of National Defence Ioannis Kefalogiannis, the MP and former Minister of National Defence Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos, MPs Dionysios Chatzidakis and Stefanos Gkikas, the MP and former Minister of National Defence and honorary Chief of Hellenic National Defence General Staff, Admiral (retired) Evangelos Apostolakis, the General Secretary of the Ministry of National Defence Antonios Oikonomou, the Mayor of Marathon Stergios Tsirkas and the Deputy Head of Region for Eastern Attica Vicky Kavallari.
On behalf of the military leadership, the ceremony was attended by the Chief of Hellenic National Defence General Staff, General Dimitrios Choupis, the Chief of Hellenic Army General Staff, Lieutenant General Georgios Kostidis, the Chief of Hellenic Navy General Staff, Vice Admiral Dimitrios Eleftherios Kataras HN and the Chief of Hellenic Air Force General Staff, Lieutenant General Dimosthenis Grigoriadis.
Also in attendance were the Ambassador of the USA George James Tsunis, the Chief of Hellenic Port Authority – Coast Guard Vice Admiral HCG Georgios Alexandrakis, the National Security Advisor Dr Athanasios Ntokos and the president and CEO of the Hellenic Aerospace Industry, Rear Admiral (retired) Alexandros Diakopoulos. The ceremony was also attended by Honorary Chiefs of Hellenic National Defence General Staff, Hellenic Navy General Staff and Army Aviation, members of the Supreme Naval Council and representatives of the manufacturing company.
After the ceremony Mr Dendias stated:
“Mr President, representative of the Speaker, Deputy Minister, Chief of Hellenic National Defence General Staff, Chiefs, Ambassador of the United States, Mayor, representative of the manufacturing company, dear colleagues, dear invited. I am particularly happy to be here today, at the Helicopter base of our Navy, at the reception ceremony of our new helicopters.
As said previously, these helicopters will give our Navy new operational capabilities. In this framework I consider it an obligation to, firstly, thank my colleague and dear friend Nikos Panagiotopoulos, since, as Minister of National Defence, he, alongside his aides at the Ministry, under the Prime Minister’s Directions has brought the agreements for acquiring these helicopters to fruition.
Ladies and gentlemen, we are facing a host of challenges in our geopolitical environment. Consequently, maintaining and upgrading the operational capabilities of our Armed Forces is a top priority.
Together with the already existing helicopters, the Aegean Hawks, our Navy is going to acquire, after the acquisition of these 7 helicopters, a fleet of high capabilities, which will be added to the Army Aviation Black Hawks. Their programme is, no doubt, going to be approved by the standing Committee of Parliament after the Meeting of the Governmental Council on National Security in the days to follow, creating a new reality, a new paradigm of modernisation, standardisation, economies of scale, with Follow On Support contracts. Literally, a great enhancement of capabilities.
Yet, this challenge concerns the totality of the Armed Forces of our country. As the framework of the “2030 Agenda” states, a holistic approach is needed, which will create modern Armed Forces, smart systems which will function as force multipliers, drawing up a 12-year armaments plan, innovation, deploying of local capabilities, a new structure of forces, Units with full manpower – no more Units with 20% and 30% manpower – another form of national service, a different mind-set. As the Prime Minister stated, ladies and gentlemen, in the latest Cabinet Council with the characteristic phrase: “the greatest reform in the Armed Forces since the creation of the modern Hellenic State”.
In my school, which is the same as the Prime Minister’s, under the clock, a phrase was written: “the time for action is wasted in preparation and the opportunities of fortune wait not for our dilatoriness and reluctance”.
Therefore, we must make haste. Today, a step was made in that direction.
Thank you”.
Subsequently, the Prime Minister Mr Kyriakos Mitsotakis, accompanied by the Minister of National Defence Mr Nikos Dendias boarded the newly acquired ΜΗ 60R Helicopter for a flight above the Gulf of Evia.
The ceremony was also attended by MP Nikolaos Vlachakos as representative of the House Speaker, the Deputy Minister of National Defence Ioannis Kefalogiannis, the MP and former Minister of National Defence Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos, MPs Dionysios Chatzidakis and Stefanos Gkikas, the MP and former Minister of National Defence and honorary Chief of Hellenic National Defence General Staff, Admiral (retired) Evangelos Apostolakis, the General Secretary of the Ministry of National Defence Antonios Oikonomou, the Mayor of Marathon Stergios Tsirkas and the Deputy Head of Region for Eastern Attica Vicky Kavallari.
On behalf of the military leadership, the ceremony was attended by the Chief of Hellenic National Defence General Staff, General Dimitrios Choupis, the Chief of Hellenic Army General Staff, Lieutenant General Georgios Kostidis, the Chief of Hellenic Navy General Staff, Vice Admiral Dimitrios Eleftherios Kataras HN and the Chief of Hellenic Air Force General Staff, Lieutenant General Dimosthenis Grigoriadis.
Also in attendance were the Ambassador of the USA George James Tsunis, the Chief of Hellenic Port Authority – Coast Guard Vice Admiral HCG Georgios Alexandrakis, the National Security Advisor Dr Athanasios Ntokos and the president and CEO of the Hellenic Aerospace Industry, Rear Admiral (retired) Alexandros Diakopoulos. The ceremony was also attended by Honorary Chiefs of Hellenic National Defence General Staff, Hellenic Navy General Staff and Army Aviation, members of the Supreme Naval Council and representatives of the manufacturing company.
After the ceremony Mr Dendias stated:
“Mr President, representative of the Speaker, Deputy Minister, Chief of Hellenic National Defence General Staff, Chiefs, Ambassador of the United States, Mayor, representative of the manufacturing company, dear colleagues, dear invited. I am particularly happy to be here today, at the Helicopter base of our Navy, at the reception ceremony of our new helicopters.
As said previously, these helicopters will give our Navy new operational capabilities. In this framework I consider it an obligation to, firstly, thank my colleague and dear friend Nikos Panagiotopoulos, since, as Minister of National Defence, he, alongside his aides at the Ministry, under the Prime Minister’s Directions has brought the agreements for acquiring these helicopters to fruition.
Ladies and gentlemen, we are facing a host of challenges in our geopolitical environment. Consequently, maintaining and upgrading the operational capabilities of our Armed Forces is a top priority.
Together with the already existing helicopters, the Aegean Hawks, our Navy is going to acquire, after the acquisition of these 7 helicopters, a fleet of high capabilities, which will be added to the Army Aviation Black Hawks. Their programme is, no doubt, going to be approved by the standing Committee of Parliament after the Meeting of the Governmental Council on National Security in the days to follow, creating a new reality, a new paradigm of modernisation, standardisation, economies of scale, with Follow On Support contracts. Literally, a great enhancement of capabilities.
Yet, this challenge concerns the totality of the Armed Forces of our country. As the framework of the “2030 Agenda” states, a holistic approach is needed, which will create modern Armed Forces, smart systems which will function as force multipliers, drawing up a 12-year armaments plan, innovation, deploying of local capabilities, a new structure of forces, Units with full manpower – no more Units with 20% and 30% manpower – another form of national service, a different mind-set. As the Prime Minister stated, ladies and gentlemen, in the latest Cabinet Council with the characteristic phrase: “the greatest reform in the Armed Forces since the creation of the modern Hellenic State”.
In my school, which is the same as the Prime Minister’s, under the clock, a phrase was written: “the time for action is wasted in preparation and the opportunities of fortune wait not for our dilatoriness and reluctance”.
Therefore, we must make haste. Today, a step was made in that direction.
Thank you”.
Subsequently, the Prime Minister Mr Kyriakos Mitsotakis, accompanied by the Minister of National Defence Mr Nikos Dendias boarded the newly acquired ΜΗ 60R Helicopter for a flight above the Gulf of Evia.
MH-60R Seahawk PN75 PN76 PN77 ( Elliniko Polemiko Nautiko )
Kotroni See also |
MH-60R Seahawk in
Elliniko Polemiko Nautiko 
