List of equipment of the Hellenic Army

The heavy equipment and weaponry of the Hellenic Army is of mostly foreign manufacture, from German, French, American, British and Russian suppliers. A notable exception is the native-built Leonidas armored fighting vehicle.

Equipment runs the gamut from state-of-the art to obsolescent Cold War inventories; the latter are gradually being retired.

Rifles, sidearms and support weapons

• Greece signed a contract with Heckler and Koch, for 112.270 5,56 mm G36 assault rifle. They would replace G-3 assault rifles as standard rifle of the Army, meaning Greece will adopt 5.56 mm caliber. The rifles would be asembled locally by Hellenic Defence Systems (EAS). The purchase has been frozen.

Heavy armament

Main Battle Tanks

• In 1981 Greece ordered 106 Leopard 1A3 GR MBTs plus 4 armoured recovery vehicles, delivered between 1983 and 1984. Almost 170 Leopard 1V were donated by the Netherlands in 1991.

• In 2003 the Greek army ordered 170 new Leopard 2A6 HEL (Hellenic), to be jointly produced by the German Krauss Maffei and the Greek ELVO firms and delivered between 2006 and 2009.

• In 2005 Greece purchased 333 used tanks: 183 Leopard 2A4s and 150 Leopard 1A5 main battle tanks from Bundeswehr reserves. This raised the number of Leopard 1 tanks in Greek service to almost 350, and added Leopard 2A4 tanks to Greece’s inventory. Leopard 2A4 tanks have been quipped with a 105mm cannon for training purposes ( to exploit the existing large stock of 105mm ammunition ), allowing quick restoration of the original L44 120mm cannon. Another 98 additional Leopard 1A5 tanks were delivered as an offset of the total Leopard 2 HEL procurement package.

• AMX-30B2 currently in reserve, and some units sold to Cyprus.

• At least 312 M-60A3 were in active service in 2009. M-48 and M-60 tanks supposed to be scrapped, sold or retired, as Leopard tanks are replacing them and CFE limit restricts the total number of tanks in service. United States transferred to Greece in 1992-93 538 M60A1 and 133 M60A3 tanks. Greece has donated at least 13 M60A3 tanks to help bolster Afghan tank platoons and may increase this number to almost 50 additional tanks. At least 350 M60 tanks of the Greek Army could be donated to Iraq.

• As of 2004, Greek Army tank crews are all professionals, not conscripts.

Armored Combat Vehicles/Carriers and Unarmored Vehicles

• The first version of the 'Leonidas' was the Austrian Saurer 4K 4FA Armored Personnel Carrier built with minor local modifications, built from 1981 until 1987. The 'Leonidas-2' involved extensive modification of the previous model, with the aim to essentially develop it as an Armored Infantry Fighting Vehicle (AIFV). 503 Leonidas vehicles of both versions delivered to Greece and 197 to Cyprus.

• All M-113 vehicles in the Hellenic Army have been upgraded to or acquired with at least the A1 modifications.

• Germany sold 400 BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles, formerly operated by East Germany.

• Greece had the intention to donate some of its 500 BMP-1 to the Iraqi Army. 36 refurbished BMP-1 were delivered in November 2005 and 64 BMP-1s in December 2006.

• The Panhard VBL was acquired after the need for armored reconnaissance vehicles was identified by the Army's involvement in peacekeeping operations.

Artillery

• 116 Second-hand Slovak-made RM-70 Grad multiple rocket launchers purchased in Germany in 1993, after the end of Cold War.

• In 2008 talks started with Germany for the transfer of 223 surplus German M109A3GE-A2 howitzers to Greece. The deal was signed on the 17th of February 2010. Once deliveries of the 223 howitzers is completed all towed artillery in the Greek Army will be withdrawn, with the exception of 18 M56 Pack guns.

• The Greek Army has 24 PzH 2000 155mm systems, delivered between July 2003 and June 2004.

Air Defense Artillery and Radar

• In 2000 the Hellenic Army decided to procure 54 vehicle-mounted ASRAD-HELLAS systems. A modular missile system featuring high firepower for day and night operation, each ASRAD-HELLAS weapon system carries four ready-to-fire Stinger missiles and holds an additional four missiles ready for a fast reload. The system is operated by a 2-man team, consisting of the driver, who has the secondary task of air space observer, and the operator of the weapon system.

• The 23 mm ZU-23 lightweight, automatic, towed antiaircraft gun entered the Army arsenal after years of service with the East German army.

• The Artemis 30 was originally developed in 1982, to protect all branches of the Armed Forces from medium and low level attack aircraft.

• With units entering service both from East German and Russian sources, the 9M33 Osa (SA-8) short range surface to air missile system was acquired to maximize the protection offered to Army units. In the mid-1990s Germany sold 13 Osa surface-to-air missile. The Greek government requested its upgrade as the Osa-AKM. The Russians later sold another 16 Osa-AKMs. Greece was so pleased that also ordered 31 Russian-made Thor-M1 (SA-15) short-range surface-to-air missiles under 1999 and 2000 contracts.

• Greece bought the S-300 anti-aircraft and anti-missile system, deciding not to purchase the Patriot PAC-3 anti-ballistic missile interceptor system. The Greek government, realizing that the United States would not allow it to buy the Russian missile system and the Patriot PAC-3, asked Cyprus to buy the S-300. Turkey protested and blocked Cyprus from buying Russia's S-300. Patriots PAC-3 are operated by the Air force, 350th Guided Missile Wing.

• Hellenic Hawk Phase II Upgrade Program brought in 1995 Greek 42 Hawk launchers (7 batteries) to updated version. Ten launchers later updated to more updated version in 1999.

Heavy Infantry Weapons

• The Kornet anti-tank guided weapon system is fitted to 4x4 vehicles. Greece has 196 launchers with 1100+ missiles, in service as of 2008.

• 59 M270 MLRS transferred from United States of America to Greece between 1995 and 2001.

• Greece operates roughly 2.500 M113's and variants, many of these are transferred from other NATO armies and are in poor condition.

• Netherlands donated almost 170 M-30 107mm mortar due to CFE restrictions.

• 19.793 RPG-18[64-mm] bought from from East Germany stocks in 1993

Other Armored Vehicles

Aircraft/Rotorcraft inventory

• The Army is looking to replace AB-205 and UH-1 helicopters in the immediate future.

• Greece bought ten CH-47Cs for the Army, nine of which were later upgraded by Boeing to the CH-47D standard. In 1999 Greece bought seven New Boeing CH-47D Chinooks. As of November 2008, Greece had 15 CH-47DG/SD Chinooks in use.

• In 1995 20 AH-64A+ were purchased. In 2003 Greece signed a contract for 12 AH-64D Longbow.

Historical equipment

References