I had this article from Defensenews.com which dates back to October 2003. It lists the planned restructure of all 3 services of the Greek armed forces.

One of the main items which stood out was the planned retiring of 71 combat aircraft by 2005 (this year), followed by a further 63 by 2010. A total of 134. Does the first phase of 71 aircraft indicate the entire A-7 fleet? While the following 63 the entire F-4 fleet?

Also, interesting reading regarding army restructuring. With a lot of the planned changes slated for completion by the end of this year. Good article to keep here as reference...

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Greece Reduces Force To Prepare for New Structure
By PERICLES N. ZORZOVILIS, ATHENS

Greece’s Defense Council on Oct. 20 approved significant force, personnel and equipment reductions ahead of the military’s new force structure, which will be decided in November.

“Developments in the wider geostrategic environment and in technology, the politico-military conditions and in general the new security dynamics make necessary the continuous adjustment of the force structure,” the Ministry of National Defense announced in a statement following the council’s session. The new force structure is intended to strengthen the armed forces’ combat effectivenss while streamlining their organization and reducing their operational and maintenance costs.

The Defense Council, presided over by Yannos Papantoniou, the minister of national defense , includes the two deputy ministers, the ministry’s general secretary, the chiefs of staff of the four military services, and the ministerial staff director.

The total personnel strength for the Greek Armed Forces will be reduced from today’s 178,500 men and women to 142,000 in 2005. Simultaneously, reserve forces will be reduced by more than 50 percent.

The major changes stemming from the adoption of the new 2005-2020 Force Structure will be to the Greek Army. Those changes include:

* New formations, properly organized and equipped to face security issues such as illegal immigration, will be activated at Epirus and Macedonia, in northern Greece.

* All Army units will be classified, based on their manning levels, as either active or mobilized. Existing semi-active units will be disbanded.

* Mobilized units in future will not be equipped with main weapon systems, such as main battle tanks, armored vehicles, howitzers and high-technology systems that demand continuous, high-level maintenance.

* No later than December 2005, all active combat units will be manned at the following levels: Immediate Reaction units, 100 percent; Special Forces units (not included in the first category), 90-95 percent; armor, mechanized infantry and Army aviation units, 75-80 percent; infantry and other combat units, 65-70 percent.

* Under the new force structure’s framework, formations to be disbanded include the 1st Hellenic Army Headquarters; the C Army Corps, while A Army Corps will transform from active to mobilized; eight divisions; nine brigades; three commando regiments; and one airborne regiment.

As a result, the Greek Army’s top level officers will be reduced by three lieutenant generals, nine major generals and 25 brigadier generals.

The structures of the Greek Navy and Air Force remain almost unaltered, with the exception of the creation of a Public Utility Air Services Command under the Greek Air Force.

Equipment Reductions

The adoption of the 2005-2020 Force Structure leads also to the retirement from active service of older technology and weapon systems and the procurement of smaller numbers of advanced technology systems, in an effort to increase combat power and strengthen rapid-reaction and deterrence capability.

Systems to be retired from services’ use include:

* Greek Army — 325 main battle tanks and 413 howitzers and guns through 2005; 885 main battle tanks, and 258 howitzers and guns from 2005-2010.

* Greek Navy — Eight fast attack crafts, three patrol boats and three supply and support ships through 2005; four fast attack crafts, five patrol boats, one supply and support ship, and 10 helicopters from 2005-2010.

* Greek Air Force — 71 combat aircraft, 24 trainers and seven tactical transport aircraft through 2005; 63 combat aircraft, 20 trainers, nine tactical transport aircraft, 15 helicopters and six Nike-Hercules surface-to-air missile batteries.

Significant savings are expected from the reductions. Operational and maintenance costs for the years 2004, 2005 and 2006 are expected to drop 18 percent in comparison with 2003 figures, saving Greece an estimated 250 million euros each year. Funding for armaments procurement between 2010 and 2015 is expected to shrink by 50 percent compared with the current decade’s level.

Taking into account these savings, defense spending for the period 2010-2015 will stabilize at about 2.7 percent of the gross national product, significantly lower than the current 3.5 percent and 2000’s 4.9 percent.

In the march 2004 elections they promised to reduce the size of the army, now they changed their mind.
I don't know any plane to be retired this year. The last retirements were few years ago. Mirage F1 and F-5. :dunno:

[QUOTE]* New formations, properly organized and equipped to face security issues such as illegal immigration, will be activated at Epirus and Macedonia, in northern Greece.
[/QUOTE]

uuummm, I think wer're 10 years late for this one, but better late than never...


[/QUOTE]* Mobilized units in future will not be equipped with main weapon systems, such as main battle tanks, armored vehicles, howitzers and high-technology systems that demand continuous, high-level maintenance.
[QUOTE]

WTFF? so thier going to take away the BMP's from my company? Horse
sh!t :battered:

I don't get it either. :doubt: Are we going back to normal infantry and leave the idea of mechanized infantry? Or are the APC not armored vehicles? :doubt:

Maybe a wrighting misstake? :dunno:
I don't think that APC's need a so high-level maintenance.

@Chris,

So they are just referring to the mobilization units which won't be equipped with heavy weapons. The active units will remain the same.