Greece has signed up to two European Defence Agency initiatives in a bid to increase cooperation with European neighbors.
The Hellenic Republic has become the sixth member of the C-27J Spartan Cooperation.
Minister of National Defence Nikos Dendias signed the Statement of Accession, which formalizes the Balkan country’s inclusion in the C-27J program.
Launched in 2020, the initiative encourages member states to exchange data and collaborate on operations, logistics, airworthiness, procurement and training related to the C27J Spartan tactical transport aircraft.
Bulgaria, Italy, Lithuania, Romania and Slovakia make up the international cooperation.
The upcoming European Spartan Exercise 2024, which will take place in Romania in September and October, will mark the first time that the Hellenic Air Force will participate in the annual defense event.
Greece also joined the Technical Arrangement on Multilateral Air Transport Training and Exercises, another EDA initiative launched in 2018 to improve interoperability among member nations.
The TA was established to streamline the process involved in drafting individual agreements for every international training and exercise. Aside from Greece, the TA has 18 member states, including Germany, France, Spain, Finland, Italy and Norway.