The Greek Defence Ministry has assigned the search and recovery operations of the Mirage 2000-5 aircraft that crashed into the Aegean Sea last Thursday costing the life of squadron leader George Baltadoros to the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR).

The whole operation, which will include the lifting of the aircraft from the area it went down, 8.5 miles northeast of the island of Skyros, will cost approximately 400,000 euros. The decision to reach the relevant concession was reached after the Ministry judged
it “essential for the security of the nation’s national interests”.

Based on the concession, the oceanographic vessel “Aegean Sea” will conduct search, location and detection operations for 14 days in the area the aircraft went down. The research body is operating under the supervision of the General Secretariat for Research and Technology (GSRT) of the Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs. The “Aegean Sea” vessel is equipped with all the necessary means to carry out such an operation.