Greek Airforce pilots are some of the best if not the best in Europe right now, ask the Americans and Israelis as to why they constantly train with Greek Airforce
"ask the Americans and Israelis as to why they constantly train with Greek Airforce" I asked them, they said so the Greek Airforce finally learns to fly.
These F4s are actually the last ones flying in Greece. This is our only squadron flying them. Once all the other squadrons retired their F4s most of the became static displays and Canibalized for parts to support the only remaining squadron. I remember during my service at my local AFB there was a taxiway with 20 f4s emptied.
Awesome that the Greek Airforce are still flying one of the classic Jet Fighters of all time. The best Aircraft Video I have ever seen :) Most amazing Videography .... had you here in Geece on that hot Summers' day. Tripple Tumbs UP !!! Yay , highligt of my Aero viewing YT day. Eagerly awaiting your next post... thankyou for sharing your talent and love of these beautiful aircraft.
Please note that these f4s have upgraded electronics in order to be somewhat of a weapons platform in the modern era.the greek airforce is going through a rapid modernisation with rafales mirage 2000 and f16 vipers and soon f35s
Phantom F4 is 50+ years old but still gives me the chills...all time favorite!!! I would classify the F4 as a multi-role bomber with dogfight abilities... ...and the "fun part" is that I served in a light weight anti-aircraft artillery unit. Bottom line...WE 🖤 F4 👻
Cheers for the comment Craig. Spending a few days with them on base at Andravida I definitely got that sense too. They certainly didn’t show their age. Such a cool jet 😎
Fantastic footage mate ! I did enjoy it so much. Recently I saw one F-4 at museum , came back home to watch them on RU-vid . Your video came up first in my search . Amazing footage !
The F-4E Phantom II first entered service with the Hellenic Air Force back in 1974. The planes eventually equipped 3 x 20 aircraft squadrons plus one reconnaissance squadron with up to 28 RF-4Es. Eventually the Phantoms and A-7s of the HAF have been replaced by F-16C/D aircraft of Block 30/50/52+/52 Adv. A batch of 36 F-4Es was modernized some years back with German assistance, giving them a digital cockpit, new smokeless engines and the ability to fire AMRAAM missiles. The modernized F-4Es were considered to be equal in capabilities to the FA-18C/D. Today, there are still 33 modernized Phantoms operational out of the original 36 and they were all grouped in one reinforced squadron in Andravídha airbase. The Phantoms will be retiring after they complete their flight hour life span, since it was decided not to undergo another factory service cycle (they had six to this day), probably being replaced by F-35As. Also, the Turkish Air Force uses F-4Es and RF-4Es for a total of up to 48? aircraft. The Turkish F-4Es were modernized as strike aircraft using an Israeli upgrade package. The last F-4E out of the Phantom's production line was and maybe is still serving with the Turkish Air Force.
You have forgotten to mention the APG-65gy radar of the F/A-18A ( built under license by the Germans : DASA company, later fused in EADS ) upgraded to have synthetic apperture capabilities on top of the F-18/A's APG-65 functions. Up Front Control, new HUD, 2 MFD's in the frontal cockpic, 3 MFD's in the rear one and HOTAS. Moreover the aircraft is equipped with the Litening-II pod for targeting and navigation especially at night. Smockless J-79 engines ( the latest version of the model ) come complete with the upgrade that took place in the year 2000. The Israeli mission computer MMRC provides the Greek F-4E/AUP compatibility with a large range of Air-to-ground weapons, unlike the upgraded German F-4F/ICE, which were used as interceptors only, using the AIM-120B with the APG-65 radar, being compatible only with AGM-65E Maverick's and iron/toss bombs and rockets for ground attack.
Initially during the 70's Hellenic Airforce was equipped with 3 x 18 aircraft divided into three squadrons. Two of them based in Adravida air-base and one squadron in Larisa. Two F-4E used by the U.S.A.F. happened to be in Greece while Turkey attacked Cyprus. Greece asked to buy them second-hand and the Congress argeed. So the initial number of Phantoms in the Helenic Air-Force was 56 F-4E. Later on in the year 1978 Greece acquired 8 RF-4E ( not 28 ). In the year 1991 Greece received 28 second-hand F-4E in form of aid from the Unided States and in the year 1995 another batch of 18 second-hand RF-4E in form of aid from Germany.
@@catfood_03_4stray These numbers add up to 84 F-4Es plus 26 RF-4Es. I was off by 2 RF-4Es and 24 F-4Es. The 84 F-4Es did equip the three squadrons we both mentioned, however a number of them covered attrition. When Turkey attacked Cyprus in 1974, Greece had 16 F-4Es and the type was declared operational in the HAF some weeks before, as I clearly remember. Turkey also had ordered F-4Es but they didn't have any operational aircraft yet. Very informative comment about the historical details of the Greek F-4Es/ RF-4Es. Thanks.
They can't come because they do not dare! Something usual for dustard former nomads... One commando of Greek Special Forces has advised the "party lovers": " Before leaving from your coast take good care of labricating your "back doors"... Also, a pilot of a Greek Mirage 2000-5 along with an RM-70 operator and a Patriot controller had another advice to the "uninvited guests": "Before you are getting on landing crafts or transport helicopters, please do eat a light dinner (not at all Adana kebab!...) as most probably you would have taking a night cold "bath" in the rough waves of our Aegean Sea!
Back in the seventies worked on and lived near to an RAF/ US base, still live there and still miss the sound of those bad boys flying over. Proper aircraft awesome bits of kit, they replaced them with A10 tankbusters(warthogs) another good plane but just didn’t cut it for me.
@@UKAviationMovies No it was RAF Woodbridge, Bentwaters twin base a few miles away. I did some work there as we were constructing the hardened aircraft shelters.
Οι προσβολές γίνονται στην εμβέλεια των shorads και manpads.... εκεί τις πιο πολλές φορές είναι σίγουρη αναχαίτιση... βαρύ αεροσκάφος μπορεί όμως να φέρει βαρύ φορτίο βομβαρδισμού
Great Video lads. Living in Uk you took me back home for a while . Where i come from we have an army base airport and i miss all these sounds and blasting turbines flying all day and night heli ops . F4 one of my loved aircrafts , i hope i see more from Greece. Where you there for the ATHENS FLYING WEEK this septermber at tanagra airport?
Thanks Yannis. Unfortunately not. I was hoping to come over but other plans got in the way. I hope to make it next year, it looks like an amazing show! 😎
@@UKAviationMovies you must go it is absolutely amazing with many atractions . Meanwhile if you pass by from The North lakes cumbria , you can find me in PENRITH i got my Award winning Takeaway ''Just Greek Penrith'' i ll be more than happy to meet you . Regards Yannis
We live again RAF Cottesmore know army not the same we ad Vulcans years ago then the TTTE Tornado then Harriars nobody moaned about the clatter they made and we ad RAF Luffernam RAF Wittering good days 👍
Sure,but as "second wave" aircrafts, in an "ALL OUT WAR" scenario....the F4 can and will deliver its payload via the majestic way only the Greek pilots know!
They are upgraded (APG-65gy radar, new mission computer , digitalised cockpit with new HUD, Up Front, Control, 2 MFD's in front 3 MFD's rear , HOTAS and the Litening-II targeting pod ) with superb air-to-ground capabilities.
La turquie posséderait plus de 400 drones de combat dont 300 tb2 difficilement détectable chaque drones a une capacité d'emport de 4 bombes guidées au minimum avec des micros munitions intelligentes guidées par inertie avec verrouillage infrarouge les frappes sont chirurgicales très précises la grece ne fera jamais le poids surtout qu'un tb2 a une autonomie de 27h rappellez moi l'autonomie d'un chasseur 😂😂😂
Armed forces of Greece are a total joke, as is this extremely unimpressive retro plane , by contrast Turkey is leaps and bounds ahead in aerial combat abilities , anyway very few planes are relevant for the modern battlefield, none that Greece has.
Last time I checked your ministers and generals were admitting the 🇬🇷 air superiority. Upgraded F16s and Rafales among others. Are you still begging the 🇺🇸 for spares and upgrades?
Your best airplane is F16 block 50+. We have Rafale, F-16 block 70 viper, F 16 block 52+,and soon to come F16 block 50M. Talk again of extremely unimpressive plane,please.
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