Greece has become an official member of the European Defence Agency programme arrangement – C-27J Spartan Cooperation. 

As of March, Greece will be part of efforts to enhance the operational and logistical capabilities of participating Member States’ fleets of C-27J tactical military airlifters. The Hellenic Air Force will participate for the first time with an aircraft in the upcoming European Spartan Exercise 2024. Greece is also now part of EDA’s Multilateral Air Transport Training and Exercises Initiative as its 19th participating member.  

Sixth member of the C-27J Spartan cooperation programme 

The C-27J programme, which entered into force in 2020, focuses on areas such as equipment improvement, training, operational harmonisation and increased fleet availability through optimised logistics solutions. Bringing together Bulgaria, Italy, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and now also Greece, the programme encourages the exchange of data and collaboration among Member States using the same platform, to achieve common objectives while avoiding duplication of efforts.

The admission of Greece was formalised through a ‘Statement of Accession’ signed by the Minister of National Defence, marking the country’s commitment to the cooperative endeavour. The European Spartan Exercise 2024, which marks the first participation of a Hellenic Air Force aircraft, will take place in Romania from 30 September to 11 October 2024. It will build upon the track record of the 2023 and 2022 editions, held in Romania and Bulgaria respectively.

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Greece joins the Multilateral Air Transport Training and Exercises Initiative

Continuing the trend of collaborative European efforts in the air domain, Greece has taken a significant step by joining the Technical Arrangement (TA) regarding Multilateral Air Transport Training and Exercises. This initiative, launched in May 2018, aims to streamline and enhance training and exercise opportunities among EDA’s Member States. 

The decision to establish a common TA stemmed from the recognition of the cumbersome process involved in drafting individual agreements for each training and exercise event. Since its inception, the common TA has garnered significant support, with 18 Member States already on board: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Germany, Spain, Finland, France, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia.

Greece’s accession to the common TA as its 19th member was signed by the Minister of National Defence of Greece, confirming the country’s active participation. This initiative represents a milestone in fostering training, exercises and interoperability across Europe.

EDA’s wider role

EDA supports its 27 Member States in improving their defence capabilities through European cooperation. Acting as an enabler and facilitator for Ministries of Defence willing to engage in collaborative capability projects, the Agency has become the hub for European defence cooperation with expertise and networks allowing it to the whole spectrum of defence capabilities. 

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