Army Aviation
The Army Air Force has a history that goes back more than 100 years, as the first flight of a military plane in Greece was recorded on 13 May 1912. With a short interruption from 1930 to 1947 it continued to support the operations of the Greek Army. The modern history of the Army Air Corps, from 1969 to the present day, has followed international developments. Through continuous reorganization, procurement of appropriate equipment and evolution of training in accordance with the lessons learned from the study of international conflicts, the Air Force is today a modern weapon of the Greek Army, with maneuvering and combat support units.
The history of the Army Air Force is the history of its personnel and the evolution of flying assets. People who, either as pilots, engineers, staff or commanders, fascinated by the magic of the aviation object and feeling the responsibility of handling and managing the very expensive and powerful means of the Army Air Force, have strived and continue to strive for the safe conduct of flights and the continuous promotion of the weapon in every corner of our homeland, increasing the sense of security of the Greeks.
As Greeks we bow our heads only to the colleagues, who, as crews of the helicopters and the fixed wings aircraft, gave their lives on the line of duty and with the help of the Arm’s patron, Prophet Εlias the Thesbite and Virgin Mary Mother of Jesus, we can assure our fellow citizens that the Arm’s development will go on ceaselessly, so that we will continue to fulfil the promise of the young Spartans, who declared to the elders that “Άμες δε γ΄εσσόμεθα πολλώ κάρρονες” (Therefore we will become much better).
The emblem of Army Aviation
The emblem of Army Aviation which consists of the winged horse of the Greek mythology, the “PEGASUS”, in combination with the written command “ΤΟΙΣ ΤΟΛΜΩΣΙΝ Η ΤΥΧΗ” (Fortune Favours the Bold) does not constitute just a symbolism, but it is directly related to the work and the mission of every member of the Army Aviation, who is taught that DARING constitutes the common merit of all the greats, it is acquired through study and constant exercise and along with FORTUNE, which always favours the bold, leads to success and victory.
Our Mission
The mission of the Army Air Force is to conduct combat operations in cooperation with the other Land Forces and to perform a variety of combat, combat support and logistics missions, independently or in cooperation with the other branches of the Armed Forces. Its mission also includes the training of operators and the development of its doctrines.
Characteristics
The Arm of Army Aviation fully utilises the third dimension of the theatre of operations and with its air assets it acts and impacts all the dimensions of the battlefield, constituting an essential force multiplier available to the operational Commander.
At the same time, the personnel and means of the Army Air Forces perform valuable social work during peacetime in every corner of Greece, as well as in neighbouring countries, promoting our country in the wider region. A large number of flights are carried out with the fixed wing aircraft and fixed wing aircraft, for the transport of humanitarian aid to areas affected by natural disasters, for participation in aerial firefighting operations as well as for the transport of patients and transplants, highlighting the social role it plays.