Smoke Trails 15-4_1.9 04.10.2006 10:55 Uhr Seite 32

Greek Air Force – F-4E AUP in Hellenic Service TThhee BBiigg FFaatt GGrreeeekk The F-4E Phantom II AUP in Hellenic ser- vice by Eddy de Kruijff and Fred Willemsen. All photos taken by the authors. BBoommbbiinngg

pparently, flying the F-4 Phan- some airframes will be 41 years old, as in 338 Ares Mira and 339 Ajax Mira tom in the Greek Air Force is a which makes it an old aircraft for front- at Andravida. In late 1991, 28 ex-UAF A line duties. According to the pundits at Air National Guard F-4Es were deliv- good career move. So many officers in commanding positions sport the Tactical Leadership Program (TLP) ered in return for the continued use of a “2000 hours on Phantom” badge on it has more than enough oomph in it. Greek bases by the US. their shoulders. You almost feel sorry LtCol Charalampiois, CO of 338 Mira for those that are Mirage or F-16 jock- (=squadron) at Anadravida says: “They Combat eys. even classed it a third-generation fight- Naturally, the F-4E Phantom has er in one of the latest TLPs we took The Greeks used the original F- been around for a long time with the part in.” 4Es in the air-to-air and air-to-ground first examples touching down on Greek took delivery of its first roles, with the RF-4s naturally in the soil on April 5, 1974. Which means that batch of 36 F-4Es from April 1974 with recce role. Only a few months into the for more than thirty years Phantom the last aircraft delivered by the end of delivery program of the first batch, on crews have been in a position to vie for that year. Two attrition replacements July 22, 1974, when just 14 aircraft had command posts opening up, whereas were delivered in 1976, which seems been delivered, the Greek F-4E Phan- F-16 crews—with fewer in number as it odd as only one crash is documented toms came close to combat. This fol- is in essence a single-seat plane— before that year. Another batch, this lowed on the heels of the Turkish inva- have had so much less time to prove time 18 F-4Es and eight RF-4Es was sion of the island of Cyprus to counter- themselves. negotiated in 1976-1977 with final F-4E act a coup by Greek officers to take As a second-generation fighter deliveries during December 1978, by over the island. Four aircraft that had aircraft, the F-4E Phantom still equips which time the Greeks had 54 F-4E been armed in anticipation of action two squadrons in the Greek Air Force Phantoms on strength in 337 Fantas- over Cyprus were scrambled, only to and will do so until 2015. By which time ma Mira (squadron) at Larissa as well be deployed to Iraklion on Crete, which

F-4E AUP 77-1745, a Peace Icarus 2000 aircraft, seen in the last-chance-area at Andravida AB in Summer 2006. Note the antenna blades of the IFF-interrogator unit attached to the nose aft of the radome. The aircraft is loaded with a SUU-20 practice bomb dispenser.

32 www.F4Phantom.com SMOKE TRAILS Vol. 15/No. 4 Smoke Trails 15-4_1.9 04.10.2006 10:55 Uhr Seite 33

Greek Air Force – F-4E AUP in Hellenic Service

F-4E AUP 77-1756 seen touching down in Andravida AB after a training sortie. Note the different appearance of the colors of the camouflage scheme, depending on the light situation.

one of the aircraft planned for the upgrade crashed. Eventually, the order was reduced to 36 aircraft for bud- getary reasons, with the last aircraft delivered to Andravida in March 2005. None of the ex-USAF aircraft were selected for the program. All of these, as well as the balance of the original orders, were withdrawn from use, leav- ing the F-4E-AUP the only F-4Es in Greek service. was closer to the action. One F-4 was AMRAAM as well as AGM-65G Maver- written off during landing, the only loss ick and AGM-130 missiles. It also Extraordinary for the Greek Air Force in this conflict. included a glass cockpit, new imaging None were to follow, as the Greeks did system, new radar altimeter, integration LtCol Charalampiois, an F-4 veter- not commit themselves to the fighting. of LITENING pods together with GBU- an with more than 3,000 flight hours Still, numerous dangerous encounters 16 and GBU-24 Paveway III capability. during 22 years of Phantom flying with Turkish aircraft were to follow with The air defence aspects of the program under his belt, thinks the F-4E-AUP a Turkish jets crossing into Greek air- had been developed, tested and put major improvement: “It’s still the origi- space (according to the Greeks) or into operational use by the Luftwaffe nal airframe: slow, not overpowered, simply flying in international airspace under its Improved Combat Effective- heavy and difficult to handle. Those are (according to the Turkish). ness (ICE) program. Development and the downsides. On the upsides, as a In the nineties, it was decided to integration of the INS and GPS as well weapons system, we can now deliver a upgrade part of the F-4E Phantom as the air-to-ground modes ran into dif- far greater array of weaponry more fleet. Competitive bids were submitted ficulties, which meant that prototype accurately. The new HUD, the HOTAS, by Rockwell and DaimlerChrysler Aero- 72-01523 Princess of Andravida had to the UFCP have been very helpful to space AG in , now part of remain in Germany until March 2000, minimize the workload. The aircraft has EADS. Elbit from were ruled out much longer than planned. The pro- the capabilities of an F-16 block 52+ from the start due to their involvement gram was called Peace Icarus 2000 and a crew of two to take advantage of with the upgrading of F-4Es for the with the new designation for the Phan- them.” . The Germans won tom becoming F-4E-AUP, short for The Colonel’s first Phantom flight the tender on the basis of their F-4F- Avionics Update Program. Which was in September 1984 after passing ICE upgrading for the German Luft- seems an understatement considering through the air force academy flying waffe. In brief, the Greek upgrade the extent of the work. the T-41, T-37, T-2 and T-33. “Just entailed fitting an APG-65 radar, which Thirty-nine F-4Es were earmarked extraordinary... too much power to han- would make the F-4E capable of firing for the program, reduced to 38 when dle, very complicated, very difficult to

Another fully laden F-4E AUP of the Elliniki Aeropo- ria () is sit- ting low on the apron in Andravida being equipped with a GBU-8/B Hobo exer- cise bomb. Note the weath- ered appearance of the three-tone “ghost” camou- flage consisting of Grey FS 36251, Grey FS 36307 and Blue FS 35237.

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