The Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff (HNDGS), General Konstantinos Floros who was awarded the Medal of the Legion of Honor of the French Republic, had the opportunity to fly with a French Rafale fighter aircraft.
“Awe is not described in words!” posted General Floros on twitter along with photos from the flight.
As he stressed, the Greek Rafale “will soon be felt in the Greek skies, with the Hellenic Air Force and our pilots in full readiness and mission to ensure peace and stability”.
Πτήση στους 🇫🇷 αιθέρες με #Rafale
Το δέος δεν περιγράφεται με λέξεις!
Τα 𝗚r από τις «Ριπές Ανέμου» θα τα νιώσουμε σύντομα & στους 🇬🇷 ουρανούς με την #ΠΑ & τους πιλότους μας σε πλήρη ετοιμότητα & αποστολή την διασφάλιση #Ειρηνη #Σταθεροτητα
🙏@CEMA_FR pour l’expérience unique! pic.twitter.com/gbLyUmnoEz
— GEN Konstantinos Floros (@ChiefHNDGS) October 22, 2021
Earlier, during his award ceremony, he spoke of a warm welcome, noting that the two countries are ready “for the military implementation of the Greek-French pillar for Peace & Stability in the region”.
Under the agreement, the Hellenic Air Force (HAF) expects to have six fighter jets at the end of 2021, 12 at the end of 2022 and 24 in the summer of 2023.
Mitsotakis from the EU Summit: Turkey must be aware of the consequences of its choices (video)
With the acquisition of the Rafale, the HAF’s firepower is expected to multiply, as their advanced systems offer unequaled air superiority in the region.
The AESA radar sensor package and the Spectra electronic warfare system, considered among the top available systems in the world, help Rafale pilots detect and target enemy aircraft from unprecedented distances.
The electronic warfare system provides active stealth capability by allowing the pilot of the French fighter to jam the enemy aircraft without the enemy fighter even realizing that there is another jet in the area.
As a twin-engine aircraft, the Rafale has an advantage over single-engine fighters such as the F-16. It can more easily carry out escort missions while at the same time having the time to engage in air combat by offering other friendly single-engine aircraft time to carry out their mission.
