In an effort to strengthen its comparative air power edge over regional foe Turkey, Greece on Friday began operations at a new international pilot training facility developed in collaboration with Israel.
Elbit, an Israeli defense contractor, will assist in managing the facility, which is situated on an air force base outside of the southern Greek city of Kalamata. Elbit and the Greek government reached a $1.65 billion agreement last year.
In an effort to surpass Turkey, Greece is modernizing its military, with a strong emphasis on its air force. Athens is updating its aging F-16 fighter jet fleet, purchasing modern French-built Rafale fighters, and aspiring to join the American F-35 jet program.
As a result of Turkey’s acquisition of the Russian S-400 air defense system, it was removed from the F-35 program.
NATO allies Greece and Turkey continue to disagree over maritime boundaries and Turkey’s claim that Greece’s military presence on islands in the eastern Aegean violates international law.
With 14 of the anticipated 25 T-6 single-engine turboprop aircraft, the new training center opened its doors on Friday. The fleet will grow the following year with the arrival of 19 M-346 training planes produced in Italy and outfitted with embedded virtual avionics that simulate flying and combat scenarios.
Although the flight school started on Friday, Elbit officials indicated it won’t be completely operational until early 2024.
The T-6 aircraft would give 7,000 flying training hours yearly, while the M-346 jets would supply 3,500 hours, according to Major General Georgios Vagenas, commander of the Greek Air Force Training Command.
“These facilities will prepare fighter squadrons for the generation of fighter aircraft that the air force recently acquired,” Vagenas said. “It will be the main mechanism to counter threats … coming from our neighbor to the east.”
