With our new air platforms (F-16 Viper, Rafale), but also the imminent acquisition of F-35 but also with the creation of the anti-aircraft and anti-drone dome, Greece acquires other possibilities to protect national rights, allied rights, European rights, the national, European, allied horizon.

This was emphasized, among others, by the Minister of National Defense Nikos Dendias who went today, Friday October 11, to the Andravidas Air Base, where he attended the Distinguished Visitors Day of the “Ramstein Flag 2024” exercise.

The Minister of National Defence, accompanied by the head of the General Defense Forces General Dimitrios Houpis, the head of the General Defense Forces Lt. General Georgios Kostidis, the head of the General Defense Forces Vice-Admiral Dimitrios-Eleftherios Katara PN and the head of the Defense Forces Vice-Admiral (I) Dimosthenis Grigoriadis, watched the passage of allied aircraft, took a tour of the grounds of the exercise and was briefed on her scenarios.

As announced, the Distinguished Visitors Day also included the Commander of the Allied Air Forces, Wing Commander James B. Hecker, and the Air Force Chiefs of Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Sweden and Finland.

Also present were the ambassadors of Belgium Marc Calcohen, France Laurence Auer, Hungary Zolt Sandor, Portugal Rui Macierra, the chargé d’affaires at the embassy of USAas a representative of the US ambassador, Maria Olson, and the chargé d’affaires of the Romanian embassy, ​​Miora Pitut, as well as Defense attachés of foreign allied countries.

Mr. Dendias called it “a great honor for Greece and the hierarchy of the Greek Air Force to host the multinational exercise Ramstein Flag 24”. “A Allied Exercise”, as he said, “being conducted for the first time, with the participation of 89 combat aircraft, 12 support aircraft, from 13 countries. They operate within the framework of NATO, based on Andravida airport.”

“This exercise is not a simple operational training. It is a test of interoperability between the air forces of the Allies to be able to face modern air defense and security threats. Collectively, all together, as mandated by the principles of the North Atlantic Alliance,” he explained.

“The integration of innovative tactics in Air Defense is imperative in the geopolitical juncture. And the presence of the North Atlantic Alliance, NATO, in the evolving international conflicts is more necessary than ever. The choice of Greece by the Alliance as an organizing country underlines the geostrategic value of our homeland. It confirms our strategic role in collective defense” he pointed out.

Regarding the new era in the Greek Air Force with the acquisition of the Rafale and the future acquisition of the F-35 as well as the creation of an anti-aircraft and anti-drone canopy, Mr. Dendias underlined that he can “support NATO operations, according to International Law and the charter of the United Nations, promoting our country as the reliable and serious ally, the pillar of stability in the Eastern Mediterranean and beyond”. “I always underline,” he continued, referring to NATO, “that it is an Alliance of values, dedicated to the defense not only of the countries that belong to the Alliance, but also of International Law.”

“NATO must not only defend a certain geographical area, but it is also a model of freedom, democracy, international law, adherence to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, defense of Human Rights. What we describe in English as “rules-based international order”” emphasized the Minister of National Defense.