See Greek and U.S. fighters in aerial combat over the USS Gerald R. Ford (photos)

A joint training exercise between the Greek Armed Forces (Hellenic Armed Forces) and the USS GERALD R. FORD (GRF) was held from Monday 24 to Tuesday 25 July 2023.
The training involved the U.S. carrier’s organic aircraft (A/F) and escort ships and was deployed in an area southwest of the Peloponnese, as part of Carrier Strike Group 12 (CSG-12), to which the GRF is assigned, in the wider Eastern Mediterranean region.
The Greek Forces participated with personnel and assets from the Navy and Air Force, as well as the newly formed Special Warfare Command (SSC) of the General Staff, as follows:

●The Frigate (F/G) AEGEAN with her organic Helicopter (H/C) S-70B as part of her participation in Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG2).

●The F/V NIKIFOROS FOKAS.

●The submarine (Y/B) KATSONIS.

●4 Fighter F-16 and 2 Fighter Fighter MIRAGE 2000-5.

●1 Unorthodox Warfare Group (UWG) of the Naval Special Operations Department (NSO) of the Naval Special Operations Division (NSED) of the Hellenic Air Force.

On the U.S. side, in addition to the GRF aircraft carrier, the destroyer (A/T) USS RAMAGE, and 4 F-18 fighter aircraft also participated.

During the joint training, the following complex operational scenarios were implemented:

●Air Defence Exercise (ADEX).

●Dissimilar Air Combat Training (DACT) objects.

●Combined Anti-Submarine Exercise (CASEX).

●Surface Warfare Exercise (SURFEX).

●Visit Board Search and Seizure (VBSS).

●Miscellaneous Exercise (MISCEX).

The joint exercise was conducted within the framework of the bilateral Mutual Defence Cooperation Agreement between Greece and the United States (MDCA), contributing to the promotion of the level of operational readiness, combat capability, and cooperation of the participants in a bilateral and inter-allied context.

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