Hellenic Armed Forces: Joint Training with the Aircraft Carrier USS GERALD R. FORD

From Monday 24 to Tuesday 25 July 2023, in the context of the wider planning of National Defense General Staff in terms of international collaborations, joint training was conducted between the Hellenic Armed Forces (HEF) and the USS GERALD R. FORD (GRF) Aircraft Carrier.

Imposing USS Gerald R. Ford docks off greater Athens area

The onboard aircraft and escort ships of the American aircraft carrier group participated in the training, and were deployed in an area southwest of the Peloponnese, in the context of the presence of Carrier Strike Group 12 (CSG-12) to which the GRF belongs, in the wider area of Eastern Mediterranean.

The mission of the armed forces

The Hellenic Armed Forces participated with personnel and means of the Navy and the Air Force, as well as the newly created Special Warfare Command (DEP) of the General Staff, as follows:

● The Frigate AEGEON with its organic Helicopter (F/C) S-70B as part of its participation in Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG2).

● Frigate NIKIFOROS FOKAS.

● The Submarine KATSONIS.

● 4 F-16 fighter jets and 2 MIRAGE 2000-5 fighter jets.

● 1 Unorthodox Warfare Group of the Naval Special Operations Department (TNEE) of the GEETHA Faculty.

On the US side, in addition to the Aircraft Carrier GRF, the USS RAMAGE and 4 F-18 Fighters also participated.

During the co-training, the following complex business scenarios were implemented:

● Air Defense Exercise (ADEX) objects.

● Combat training objects between different types of aircraft (Dissimilar Air Combat Training – DACT).

● Combined Anti-Submarine Exercise (CASEX).

● Surface Warfare Exercise – SURFEX.

● Visit Board Search and Seizure Operations (VBSS).

● Naval Advanced Maneuver Exercises (Miscellaneous Exercise – MISCEX).

The joint training took place within the framework of the bilateral agreement on mutual defense cooperation between Greece and the USA. (MDCA), helping to advance the level of operational readiness, combat capability and cooperation of the participants in a bilateral and inter-alliance context.