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47-537: The Hellenic Vehicle Industry started business as Steyr Hellas S.A. assembling and manufacturing trucks, motorbikes and farm tractors ( Steyr and Puch models). Significant orders for trucks and buses by the Greek Army and state authorities soon gave momentum to the company. The tractor division declined in the 1980s, as the company focused on military vehicles. In 1986 it changed its name to Hellenic Vehicle Industry S.A. . The Greek company's first original designs were

94-455: A 3-tonne truck in 1980, which was not industrially produced, and a military bus (chassis and body) in 1981. In the same year it undertook the construction of "its own" Leonidas Armored Personnel Carrier, Steyr’s 4K 7FA model built with minor modifications, again with progressively increasing local content. In 1987 Hellenic Vehicle Industry introduced Leonidas-2 , this time with significant modifications of its own. Hundreds were built, while

141-587: A drastic reorganization of the national military: a Secretariat on Army and Naval Affairs and the Hellenic Army Academy were created, the Army engineering corps was founded (28 July 1829), and a concerted effort was made to reform the various irregular forces into regular light infantry battalions. Throughout these early years, French influence pervaded the Greek regular army, in tactics as well as appearance, as most of

188-484: A few models actually included complete ELVO chassis design and construction, among them the Midas and Europe models of 1993, and a number of military bus types. ELVO-bodied Scania L113 buses exported to Trans-Island Bus Services , Singapore in 1996 were welcomed by that country’s press as the first low-floor buses in the wider region. A number of ambitious plans for company development and new products were not realized, as

235-546: A number of different versions were proposed. In the years that followed, Hellenic Vehicle Industry became a major producer of military and civilian trucks for a variety of uses (all based on Steyr models), engines ( Steyr types, many for export to the Austrian company itself), military jeeps ( Mercedes-Benz G-Class under licence), customized vehicles and machinery, and buses, with significant exports. Production of buses usually involved body construction on imported chassis. Only

282-707: Is an accepted version of this page The Hellenic Armed Forces ( Greek : Eλληνικές Ένοπλες Δυνάμεις , romanized :  Ellinikés Énoples Dynámis ) are the military forces of Greece . They consist of the Hellenic Army , the Hellenic Navy , and the Hellenic Air Force . The civilian authority overseeing the Hellenic Armed Forces is the Ministry of National Defense . The Greek military, encompassing

329-835: Is mostly of foreign manufacture, from German , French , Italian , American , British and Russian suppliers. A notable exception is the indigenous Leonidas armoured personnel carrier which was built by the Hellenic Vehicles Manufacturer Industry ELVO , such as the ELVO Kentaurus fighting vehicle. Equipment runs the gamut from state-of-the art to obsolete Cold War inventories; the latter are gradually being retired. The structure of Hellenic Army ranks has its roots in British military traditions and follows NATO standard rank scale . The rank of Stratarchis (Στρατάρχης, equivalent to Field Marshal or General of

376-577: Is the land force of Greece . The term Hellenic is the endogenous synonym for Greek . The Hellenic Army is the largest of the three branches of the Hellenic Armed Forces , also constituted by the Hellenic Air Force (HAF) and the Hellenic Navy (HN). The army is commanded by the chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff (HAGS), which in turn is under the command of Hellenic National Defence General Staff (HNDGS). The motto of

423-780: The Evelpidon Military Academy in Athens ( Στρατιωτική Σχολή Ευελπίδων , ΣΣΕ ), the Corps Officers Military Academy in Thessaloniki ( Στρατιωτική Σχολή Αξιωματικών Σωμάτων, ΣΣΑΣ ) and the Non-Commissioned Officers Academy ( Σχολή Μονίμων Υπαξιωματικών ) in Trikala. Unlike what the title of the latter suggests, ΣΜΥ graduates do comprise a large part of the officer corps and are able to advance to

470-657: The Tunisian campaign and the Battle of Rimini (1944) . After the war, Greece incorporated the Dodecanese . Soon, the political polarization between communist (or leftist) and anticommunist forces, led to a three-and-a-half-year-long civil war , which ended with communist defeat. The Greek Expeditionary Force took part in the Korean War with a total of 10,255 Greek personnel, of whom 186 or 187 were killed and 617 were wounded. The army

517-582: The Armed Forces for a period of 9-12 months . Women can serve in the Greek military on a voluntary basis, but cannot be conscripted. According to NATO sources in 2008, Greece spent 2.8% of GDP on its military, which translated to about €6.9 billion (US$ 9.3 billion). In 2008, Greece was the largest importer of conventional weapons in Europe and its military spending was the highest in the European Union relative to

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564-558: The Army ) though, has been historically used, but is no longer extant. It was first awarded to King Constantine I for his leadership in the Balkan Wars . The rank was subsequently assumed by his successors upon accession, until the abolition of the monarchy. The only regular officer to have been awarded the rank was General Alexander Papagos on 28 October 1949, after he had won the Greek Civil War . Hellenic Armed Forces This

611-576: The Entente powers during World War I and participated in the intervention in the Russian Civil War in 1919. However, the conflict between Greece and Turkey, reignited in the early 1920s, concluded in the autumn of 1922 with a severe setback for Greece, known as the "Asia Minor Catastrophe." In World War II, under the leadership of dictator Ioannis Metaxas, Greece rebuffed an ultimatum for surrender from Italy on October 28, 1940. Greek forces managed to repel

658-512: The German withdrawal in 1944, Greece was embroiled in a civil war from March 1946 until October 1949. Greek soldiers also participated in the Korean War from 1951 to 1955. Since February 18, 1952, Greece has been a fully-fledged member of NATO. Greece currently has universal compulsory military service for males from and over 18 years of age. Under Greek law, all men over 18 years of age must serve in

705-598: The Greek annexation of Thessaly , and again in September 1885 – May 1886, when Bulgaria annexed Eastern Rumelia . The great financial burden of these long periods of mobilization, however, exhausted the public treasury, and stalled the reform process. The result was that the Hellenic Army was wholly unprepared for war on the outbreak of the Greco-Turkish War of 1897 : plans, fortifications and weapons were non-existent,

752-530: The Greek military due to reduced budgets. Another step towards original developments was its initiative for the creation of a light sports car, which was assigned to TWT , an engineering company created in Germany by Greek engineer Dimitris Vartziotis, with facilities in Germany and Greece. The prototype of the ELVO Aletis , meaning "tramp" in Greek, an attractive car designed by Pininfarina with Volkswagen engine,

799-524: The Greeks had adopted the triangular infantry division as their main formation, but more importantly, the overhaul of the mobilization system allowed the country to field and equip a far greater number of troops than it had in 1897: while foreign observers estimated a mobilized force of approximately 50,000 men, the Army eventually fielded 125,000, with another 140,000 in the National Guard and reserves. After

846-673: The Hellenic Army are Arms and Corps. The former is responsible for combat missions and the latter for logistical support. It is organized in Commands, Formations, and Units with the main being brigade , division and corps . Its main mission is to guarantee the territorial integrity and independence of the country. The Hellenic Navy incorporates a modern fleet consisting of strike units, such as frigates , gunboats , submarines and fast attack guided missile vessels and multiple types of support vessels, in order to be able to conduct naval operations that protect Greek national interests and guarantee

893-461: The Hellenic Army is [Ἐλεύθερον τὸ Εὔψυχον] Error: {{Lang}}: invalid parameter: |3= ( help ) ('Freedom stems from valour'), from Thucydides 's History of the Peloponnesian War (2.43.4) , a remembrance of the ancient warriors that defended Greek lands in old times. The Hellenic Army Emblem is the two-headed eagle with a Greek Cross escutcheon in the centre. The Hellenic Army is also

940-434: The Hellenic Army's higher command is the Hellenic Army General Staff . There are four major military commands which supervise all army units, Although divisions still exist, having the role of forward commands, the Army is mainly organized in brigades , that follow the typical NATO standards consisting of five battalions , three manoeuvre, one artillery, one support and some other company sized formations. According to

987-454: The Hellenic army battalions are commanded by either a ranking officer major general or if in a combat mission by another state which in agreement with the Greek state will be commanded by a ranking General of their own. The rank insignia of commissioned officers . The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel . The heavy equipment and weaponry of the Hellenic Army

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1034-737: The Italian invasion, driving them back across the Albanian border. Nonetheless, the combined forces of the German Wehrmacht and Bulgarian military in April and May 1941 (during the Balkan campaign) overpowered Greek resistance. Subsequent to this defeat, segments of the Greek army evacuated to Egypt, where they joined the British Expeditionary Force in continuing the struggle against Axis forces. Following

1081-535: The Joint Armed Forces Headquarters and the units that operate under them. It is also responsible for organising and implementing routine operations and exercises of the Joint Armed Forces, coordinating and implementing operations during the management of wartime and peacetime crises and overseeing operations of the Hellenic Armed Forces outside Greek national territory. The basic components of

1128-652: The ages of 18 and 45. Citizens discharged from active service are normally placed in the Reserve and are subject to periodic recall of 1–10 days at irregular intervals. Greek males between the age of 18 and 60 who live in strategically sensitive areas may also be required to serve part-time in the National Guard . During a mobilization the amount of conscripts may exceed 180,000. Conscript enlisted men and non-commissioned officers wear special rank insignia to differentiate them from volunteers. Professional officers graduate from

1175-513: The army and navy, was established during the fight for independence from Ottoman rule in 1821. The air force was later introduced in September 1912 as the third arm of the military. Throughout the Balkan Wars of 1912/1913, the Greek armed forces achieved significant victories against the Ottoman and Bulgarian armies, effectively expanding Greece's territorial boundaries. The Kingdom of Greece aligned with

1222-522: The company reverted to the Greek state in 2010. The Greek state petitioned to put Hellenic Vehicle Industry into receivership in January 2014. By 2015, the company was in the process of being dissolved. However, in April 2015 the dissolution had been frozen as the Greek government sought to find a private buyer for the company, citing its strategic importance to the Greek defence industrial base. In 2019, Greece government launched an international tender to sell

1269-506: The country's GDP, reaching twice the European average. Data for the 2017 fiscal year showed an estimated expense of €4.3 billion in constant 2010 prices, or €4.2 billion in current prices, equivalent to 2.38% of GDP (+0.01 change since 2016). For the 2018 fiscal year, the expenditure was estimated at €4.3 billion in constant 2010 prices or €4.1 billion in current prices, equivalent to 2.27% of GDP (-0.11% change since 2017). Military personnel

1316-681: The first time the Hellenic Army was briefly subdivided into divisions and brigades . Universal conscription was introduced in 1879, and under the premiership of Charilaos Trikoupis , in 1882–1885 major steps were undertaken to improve the training and education of the officer corps: a French military mission was called to Greece, new schools were founded and Greek officers were sent abroad for studies, and efforts were made to make officers on active service refrain from participating in politics and focus on their professional duties. The Army also underwent its first mobilizations , in July 1880 – April 1882 due to

1363-547: The following main objectives: The Hellenic Army traces its origin to the regular units established by the Greek provisional government during the Greek War of Independence (1821–1829). The first of these, an infantry regiment and a small artillery battery , were established in April 1822, and were commanded by European Philhellenes (such as Joseph Balestra and others). Lack of funds however forced its disbandment soon after, and it

1410-872: The higher organisation of the Greek Army on 15 August 1940, with the General Staff of the Army directly supervising five corps, three divisions, and the Thessaloniki Fortress. The exiled Greek government, with units of the Army, were transferred to the Middle East, where they continued the war with the Allies as the Greek Armed Forces in the Middle East . The Sacred Band and the 3rd Greek Mountain Brigade were formed in exile, and took part in various operations; including

1457-508: The instructors were French—at first Philhellenes, and later serving officers of General Maison's Expeditionary Corps . After Kapodistrias' assassination in 1831 and in the subsequent internal turmoil over the next two years, however, the regular army all but ceased to exist. The first king of the newly independent Greek kingdom, the Bavarian prince Otto , initially relied on a 4,000-strong German contingent . The royal government re-established

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1504-617: The integrity of Greek territorial waters, the mainland and the islands. The Hellenic Air Force incorporates a modern aircraft fleet and congruent structure, combined with a comprehensive air defense system that consists of a widespread network of anti-aircraft weapons . The structure, which is overseen by the Air Force General Staff , includes the Tactical Air Force Command, the Air Force Support Command,

1551-602: The latest developments, up to 2015, all active divisions will dissolve, but all brigades will acquire one more manoeuvre battalion, largely eliminating the distinction between mechanized and armoured formations, thus creating a new type brigade, which will be named Strike Brigade . There are three classes of personnel in the Hellenic Army, namely professional, volunteer and conscript . There are currently 90,000 personnel on active duty, of which 30,000 are conscripted. The Hellenic Republic has mandatory military service (conscription) as of March 2021 of 12 months for all males between

1598-523: The main contributor to, and lead nation of, the Balkan Battle Group , a combined-arms rapid-response force under the EU Battlegroup structure. The main missions of the Hellenic Army are the defence of the state's independence and integrity, the safeguarding of national territory, and the decisive contribution to the achievement of the country's policy objectives. During peacetime, the Army has

1645-439: The mass of the officer corps was unsuited to its tasks, and training was inadequate. As a result, the numerically superior, better organized, equipped and led Ottoman forces pushed the Greek forces south out of Thessaly. The dismal performance of the Hellenic Army in the war of 1897 led to a major reform programme under the administration of Georgios Theotokis (1899–1901, 1903–1904 and 1906–1909). A new Army Organization Statute

1692-578: The next five years. The acquisition was completed on 14 February 2021 with the Israeli consortium taken over control of the production of ELVO vehicles, which Hellenic Armed Forces were interested. They are considering to produce military vehicles and regular vehicles for Greece and later Europe, like ELVO Aletis which was a concept car in the 2010s. Greek Army The Hellenic Army ( Greek : Ελληνικός Στρατός , romanized :  Ellinikós Stratós , sometimes abbreviated as ΕΣ ), formed in 1828,

1739-565: The rank of lieutenant colonel , starting at the rank of corporal, while their ΣΣΕ and ΣΣΑΣ counterparts graduate as second lieutenants and could, theoretically, attain flag officer ranks. Thus, in the chain of command , graduates of the two military academies in Athens and Thessaloniki are considered higher in seniority compared to professional officers of the same rank who graduated from Trikala . The latter officers are followed in seniority by volunteer and finally conscript staff. During war,

1786-667: The regular army and dissolved the irregular forces that had largely fought the War of Independence. Following the ousting of Otto in 1862, the Army continued relying on the Army Organization Statute of 1833. The Greek royal army in 1860 was approximately 200,000 men. The first major reforms were undertaken in 1877, in response to the Balkan Crisis that eventually led to the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 . Among other measures, for

1833-530: The share of Hellenic Vehicle Industry. In 2020, the sale of the company to an Israeli-interest consortium that comprising Plasan Sasa Ltd , Naska Industries – SK Group and Hellenic businessman Aristidis Glinis appears to have successfully concluded. According to sources, it was announced the Israeli consortium was deemed the highest bidder in the public tender for the sale of ELVO’s assets and Israeli consortium committed to invest between 95 and 135 million euros in ELVO over

1880-428: The state character of the company linked it to effects from government changes and mismanagement. Although it pulled out of a 1988 agreement with Steyr for an Armored Infantry Fighting Vehicle Development, Hellenic Vehicle Industry rather surprised many in 1998, introducing a particularly advanced Armored Infantry Fighting Vehicle of its own design and development, named Kentaurus . The vehicle has not been ordered by

1927-464: The victorious Balkan Wars , the country doubled its territory. During the WWI, a disagreement between King Constantine and Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos caused a National Schism , but eventually a united Greece joined in 1917 the Allies. As a winner of the war, Greece annexed Western and Eastern Thrace and landed units in 1919 at Asia Minor , starting so the Greco-Turkish War (1919-22) , which

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1974-430: Was briefly renamed "Royal Hellenic Army" from August 20th, to October 25th, 1964, on the initiative of then Minister of National Defence Petros Garoufalias . In total, the Hellenic Army has taken part in the following engagements: After a major reorganization which occurred in the last decade, which included the transformation of most Infantry formations into Mechanized Brigades and a parallel reduction of personnel,

2021-615: Was estimated at 106,000 for year 2017 and 105,000 for year 2018. Greece is an EU and NATO member and currently participates primarily in peacekeeping operations. Such operations are ISAF in Afghanistan , EUFOR in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Chad , and KFOR in Kosovo . Greece also maintains a small force in Cyprus. The Hellenic National Defense General Staff has the operational command of

2068-730: Was introduced in the Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung in Frankfurt in 2001, but never produced. In 2000, Hellenic Vehicle Industry was partly privatised, when the Greek Mytilineos metal and engineering group acquired 43% and undertook the company management. The company faced severe financial problems due to reduced orders in 2009, after production, in cooperation with a number of Greek companies, of 140 Leopard 2 Hel main battle tanks under licence of Krauss-Maffei Wegmann ( KMW ), had been completed. The management of

2115-537: Was issued in 1904 (revised in 1910), purchases of new artillery material (including the 75 mm Schneider-Danglis 06/09 gun) and of the Mannlicher–Schönauer rifle were made, and a new, khaki field uniform was introduced in 1908. Reform was accelerated after the Goudi coup of 1909. The new government under Eleftherios Venizelos brought a French military mission to train the Hellenic Army. Under its supervision,

2162-631: Was not until July 1824 that regular units were reformed, under the Greek Colonel Panagiotis Rodios . In May 1825, the first law on conscription was passed, and the command of the entire regular forces entrusted to the French Colonel Charles Fabvier . Under Fabvier, the regular corps expanded, and for the first time came to include cavalry, military music detachments, and, with Lord Byron 's aid, military hospitals. The governorship of Ioannis Kapodistrias (1828–1831) saw

2209-563: Was unsuccessful for Greece, in 1922. The country joined WWII with the Allies side in October 1940, when dictator Ioannis Metaxas rejected an Italian ultimatum by Mussolini. In the Greco-Italian War , the Hellenic Army pushed back the Italian and occupied large parts of southern Albania, but after a German invasion ( Battle of Greece ) fell under the Axis domination. Leo Niehorster's website shows

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