Hellenic Navy
Encyclopedia
The Hellenic Navy is the naval
force of Greece
, part of the Greek Armed Forces
. The modern Greek navy has its roots in the naval forces of various Aegean Islands
, which fought in the Greek War of Independence
. During the periods of monarchy
(1833–1924 and 1936–1973) it was known as the Royal Navy (Βασιλικόν Ναυτικόν, Vasilikón Naftikón, abbreviated ΒΝ).
The total displacement of all the navy's vessels is approximately 150,000 tons.
The motto of the Hellenic Navy is "Μέγα το της Θαλάσσης Κράτος" from Thucydides
' account of Pericles
' oration on the eve of the Peloponnesian War
. This has been roughly translated as "Great is the country that controls the sea". The Hellenic Navy's emblem consists of an anchor
in front of a crossed Christian cross
and trident
, with the cross symbolizing Greek Orthodoxy
, and the trident symbolizing Poseidon
, the god of the sea in Greek mythology
. Pericles' words are written across the top of the emblem.
, and due to the maritime nature of the country, it has always featured prominently in modern Greece's military history.
At the beginning of the Greek War of Independence
, the naval forces of the Greeks consisted primarily of the merchant fleet of the Saronic
islanders from Hydra
, Spetsai and Poros
and also the islanders of Psara
and Samos
. The fleet was of crucial importance to the success of the revolt. Its goal was to prevent as much as possible the Ottoman Navy from resupplying the isolated Ottoman garrisons and land reinforcements from the Ottoman Empire
's Asian provinces.
Although Greek crews were experienced seamen, the light Greek ships, mostly armed merchantmen, were unable to stand up to the large Turkish ships of the line
in direct combat. So the Greeks resorted to the use of fireships , with great success. It was in the use of such ships that courageous seamen like Constantine Kanaris
won international renown. Under the leadership of capable admirals, most prominently Andreas Miaoulis of Hydra, the Greek fleet achieved early victories, guaranteeing the survival of the revolt in the mainland.
However, as Greece became embroiled in a civil war, the Sultan called upon his strongest subject, Muhammad Ali of Egypt
, for aid. Plagued by internal strife and financial difficulties in keeping the fleet in constant readiness, the Greeks failed to prevent the capture and destruction of Kasos
and Psara
in 1824, or the landing of the Egyptian army at Modon
. Despite victories at Samos
and Gerontas, the Revolution was threatened with collapse until the intervention of the Great Powers in the Battle of Navarino
in 1827. There the Egypto-Ottoman fleet was decisively defeated by the combined fleets of the Britain
, France
and the Russian Empire
, effectively securing the independence of Greece.
When Ioannis Capodistrias became governor of newly liberated Greece in 1828, the Greek fleet consisted of few remaining ships, which had participated in the war for independence. The first minister of "Naval affairs" was Constantine Kanaris, and the most powerful ship of the fleet at that time, the frigate Hellas
, had been constructed in the United States
in 1825. The Hellenic Navy established its headquarters at the island of Poros
and the building of a new series of ships began at the naval base while old ships were gradually being retired. Furthermore, continuous efforts towards the education of officers were initiated. Young people were initially trained at the military school of Scholi Evelpidon and afterwards they were transferred to the navy, as there was no such thing as a Naval Academy.
In 1831, Greece descended into anarchy
with numerous areas, including Mani
and Hydra
, in revolt. It was during this revolt that the flagship Hellas
, docked at Poros, was set on fire by Admiral Andreas Miaoulis. Capodistrias was assassinated a few months after.
arrived in the Greek capital, Nafplion
, in 1832 aboard the British warship HMS Madagascar
, the Greek fleet consisted of 1 corvette, 3 brigs, 6 gollettes, 2 gunboats, 2 steamboats and a few more small vessels. The first Naval School was founded in 1846 on the Corvette Loudovikos and Leonidas Palaskas was assigned as its director. However the inefficient training of the officers, coupled with conflict between those who pursued modernization and those who were stalwarts of the traditions of the veterans of the struggle for independence, resulted in a restricted and inefficient navy, which was limited to policing the sea and the pursuit of pirates.
During the 1850s, the more progressive elements of the navy won out and the fleet was augmented with more ships. In 1855, the first iron propeller-driven ships were ordered from England. These were the steamships Panopi, Pliksavra, Afroessa, and Sfendoni.
During the 1866 Cretan
revolt, the ships of the Royal Hellenic Navy were in no condition to support it. Such failure led to the government awakening to the problem of naval insufficiency and the adoption of a policy stating that: "The navy, as it represents a necessary weapon for Greece, should only be created for war and aim to victory." Because of this, the fleet was supplied with new and bigger ships, reflecting a number of innovations including the use of iron in shipbuilding industry and the invention of the torpedo; with these advances, the effectiveness and the appearance of the Hellenic Navy changed.
Meanwhile after 1878, because of the Russo-Turkish War and the need to expand the Greek navy, a new and larger naval base was established in the area of Faneromeni of Salamis
and a few years later it was transferred to the area of Arapis where it remains today. At the same time the Naval Academy
was founded and Ilias Kanellopoulos was made Director. A committee from France headed by Admiral Lejeune introduced a new, advanced naval organization and the methodological training of enlisted personnel through the establishment of a training school in the old building of the naval base in Poros. During the government of Charilaos Trikoupis
in 1889, the fleet was further increased with the acquisition of new battleships:Hydra
, Spetsai
, and Psara
from France. Thus, when Greece went to war in the Greco-Turkish War
in 1897, the Hellenic Navy established its dominance in the Aegean Sea, however, it was unable to change the outcome of the war on land, which was a national humiliation.
In 1907, the Hellenic Navy General Staff (Γενικό Επιτελείο Ναυτικού) was founded, with then-Captain Pavlos Kountouriotis
as its first head. After the war, in 1897, the Ottoman Empire embarked on a program of naval expansion for its fleet and as a response to that, in 1909, the cruiser Georgios Averof
was bought from Italy. In 1910, an English naval mission arrived, headed by Admiral Tuffnel, in order to recommend improvements in the organization and training of the navy. The mission led to the adoption of the English style of management, organization and training, especially in the area of strategy.
The Navy, shortly before the Balkan Wars
, was composed of a destroyer and battleship fleet. Its mission was primarily offensive, aiming at capturing the Ottoman-held islands of the Eastern Aegean, and establish naval supremacy in the area. To that end, its commander-in-chief, Rear Admiral Pavlos Kountouriotis
, established a forward base at the Moudros
bay at Lemnos
, directly opposite the Dardanelles
straits. After defeating the two Turkish sallies from the Straits at Elli
(December 1912) and Lemnos
(January 1913), the Aegean Sea was secured for Greece.
The Balkan Wars were followed by a rapid escalation between Greece and the Ottoman Empire over the as yet unclear status of the islands of the Eastern Aegean. Both governments embarked on a naval armaments race, with Greece purchasing the obsolete battleships Limnos
and Kilkis
and the light cruiser Elli
as well as ordering two dreadnought
s, the Vasilefs Konstantinos
and the Salamis
and a number of destroyers. However, with the outbreak of the First World War, construction of the dreadnoughts stopped.
Initially during the war, Greece followed a course of neutrality, with the Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos
favoring the Entente
and pro-German King Constantine I
advocating neutrality. This dispute eventually led to a deep political conflict, known as the "National Schism". In November 1916, in order to apply pressure on the royal government in Athens, the French confiscated the Greek ships. They continued to operate with French crews, primarily in convoy escort and patrol duties in the Aegean, until Greece entered the war on the side of the Allies in June 1917, at which point they were returned to Greece. Subsequently, the Greek Navy took part in the Allied operations in the Aegean, in the Allied expedition
in support of Denikin's White Armies in the Ukraine
, and in the operations of the Greco-Turkish War of 1919–1922 in Asia Minor.
After Greece's catastrophic defeat, the 1920s and early 1930s were a politically turbulent period, with the economy in a bad state, so the Navy received no new units, apart from the modernization of four destroyers and the acquisition of six French submarines in 1927 and four Italian destroyers
in 1929.
In 1938, Greece ordered four modern Greyhound class destroyers in English shipyards, making a serious step towards modernization. The outbreak of war in Europe, however, allowed only two to be delivered. Greece entered World War II with a navy consisting of 2 battleships, 1 armoured cruiser, 14 destroyers, and six submarines.
During the Greco-Italian War
, the Navy took over convoy escort missions in the Ionian Sea
and even embarked on three raids against the Italian supply convoys in the Strait of Otranto
. The most important role was given to the submarines, which although obsolete, managed to sink several Italian cargo ships in the Adriatic.
But when Nazi Germany
attacked Greece
, the RHN suffered heavily at the hands of the Luftwaffe
, with 25 ships, including the old battleship, now artillery training ship, Kilkis
and the hulk of her sister Limnos
, lost within a few days in April 1941. It was then decided to shift the remaining fleet (one cruiser -the famous Averof
-, three destroyers and five submarines) to the join up with the British Mediterranean Fleet at Alexandria
.
As the war progressed, the number of Hellenic Royal Navy vessels increased after the concession of several destroyers and submarines by the British Royal Navy
. The most notable aspects of the Hellenic Royal Navy's participation in World War II include the operations of the destroyer Vassilissa Olga
which, until sunk in Leros
on September 23, 1943, was the most successful Allied destroyer in the Mediterranean Sea
; the participation of two destroyers in Operation Overlord
; and the story of the destroyer Adrias, which while operating close to the coast of Kalymnos
in October 1943 hit a mine, resulting in the loss of the vessel's prow, while blowing the two-gun forward turret over the bridge. After some minor repairs at Gümüşlük Bay in Turkey the Adrias managed to return to Alexandria
in a 400 miles (643.7 km) trip, even though all the forepart of the ship, up to the bridge, was missing.
.png)
After World War II
, the Royal Hellenic Navy was significantly strengthened by the concession of British and Italian ships. The organisation also changed in line with modern naval doctrines of that era after the entrance into NATO in 1952. At the beginning of the 1950s, US military aid formed the core of the country's armed forces. The Royal Hellenic Navy received the first Bostwick-class destroyers which took on the name Beasts (Θηρία), while withdrawing the British ones.
The next significant change was during the early 1970s, when Greece was the first Mediterranean naval force to order missile-equipped Fast Attack Craft
(Combattante II) and the Type 209 submarine
s, whereas US military aid continued in the form of FRAM II
class destroyers. In 1979, Hellenic Navy placed an order in the Netherlands
for two modern Standard class
frigates (the Elli class
). These were the first acquisitions of new main surface vessels, rather than the use of second-hand ships, in almost four decades.
_23_10_06_1138.jpg)
Hellenic Navy was enhanced to its maximum point during the last decade. The arrivals of Hydra class (MEKO 200 HN)
and more Standard class frigates along with the orders for more missile corvettes, Poseidon class Type 209 submarine
submarines and naval helicopters allowed the retirement of the obsolete vessels.
Greece also received four Charles F. Adams class destroyers
from the US Navy in 1991-1992. All four have since been decommissioned since their electronics and armament were obsolete while they required large crews.
The advance continued when Greece ordered Type 214 submarine
s that feature an air-independent propulsion
(AIP) system, Sikorsky S-70B-6/10 Aegean Hawk helicopters and Project 1232.2 Zubr class hovercraft
from Russia
and the Ukraine
.
Recent plans included the modernization of Standard class frigates with new electronics and radar systems, the modernization of Glaukos and Poseidon class submarines with new sonars, electronics and air-independent propulsion engines (programs Neptune 1/2)
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Photo
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc; width:14%;"|Name
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc; width:6%;"|#
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc; width:12%;"|Name in Greek
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|In Service
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Notes
|-
! colspan="7" style="background:lightsteelblue;" |Frigates
|-
| Hydra
(Type: Meko-200HN
) ||
|| HS Hydra
HS Spetsai
HS Psara
HS Salamis || F 452
F 453
F 454
F 455 ||Φ/Γ Ύδρα
Φ/Γ Σπέτσαι
Φ/Γ Ψαρά
Φ/Γ Σαλαμίς || 4 || Within the next 2 years a modernization and upgrading program will be launched for all 4 vessels.
|-
| Elli
(Type: Standard) ||
|| HS Elli
HS Limnos
HS Adrias
HS Aigaion
HS Navarinon
HS Kountouriotis
HS Bouboulina
HS Kanaris
HS Themistoklis
HS Nikiforos Fokas || F 450
F 451
F 459
F 460
F 461
F 462
F 463
F 464
F 465
F 466 || Φ/Γ 'Ελλη
Φ/Γ Λήμνος
Φ/Γ Αδρίας
Φ/Γ Αιγαίον
Φ/Γ Ναυαρίνον
Φ/Γ Κουντουριώτης
Φ/Γ Μπουμπουλίνα
Φ/Γ Κανάρης
Φ/Γ Θεμιστοκλής
Φ/Γ Νικηφόρος Φωκάς || 10 || F Elli (F-450) & F Limnos (F 451) built specifically for the Hellenic Navy. Modernization of Six frigates of the S Class completed by the end of 2010.
|-
! colspan="7" style="background:lightsteelblue;" |Gunboats
|-
| Osprey 55
HSY-55
Osprey HSY-56A
||
|| HS Armatolos
HS Navmachos
HS Kasos
HS Polemistis
HS Machitis
HS Nikiphoros
HS Aittitos
HS Krataios || P 18
P 19
P 57
P 61
P 266
P 267
P 268
P 269 || Κ/Φ Αρματωλός
Κ/Φ Ναυμάχος
Κ/Φ Κάσος
Κ/Φ Πολεμιστής
Κ/Φ Μαχητής
Κ/Φ Νικηφόρος
Κ/Φ Αήττητος
Κ/Φ Κραταιός || 8 || Class HSY-55
designed by the Hellenic Navy. Modular concept so that
weapons and sensors can be changed as required.
|-
| Asheville
||
|| HS Tolmi
HS Hormi || P 229
P 230 || Κ/Φ Τόλμη
Κ/Φ Ορμή || 2 || HS "Tolmi" is ex USN .
HS "Hormi" is ex USN .
|-
! colspan="7" style="background:lightsteelblue;" |Fast Attack Missile
|-
| Roussen
(Type: Super-Vita) || || HS Roussen
HS Daniolos
HS Krystallidis
HS Grigoropoulos
HS Ritsos
HS Karathanasis
HS Vlahakos || P 67
P 68
P 69
P 70
P 71
P 72
P 73 || ΤΠΚ Ρουσσέν
ΤΠΚ Δανιόλος
ΤΠΚ Κρυσταλλίδης
ΤΠΚ Γρηγορόπουλος
ΤΠΚ Ρίτσος
ΤΠΚ Καραθανάσης
ΤΠΚ Βλαχάκος || 5 || Two more under construction, being the option of the initial order, ordered in September 2008. An additional 2 more Super Vita ordered will be built and fitted with MM40 Exocets
(Block III).
|-
| La Combattante III
|| || HS Laskos
HS Blessas
HS Mykonios
HS Troupakis || P 20
P 21
P 22
P 23 || ΤΠΚ Λάσκος
ΤΠΚ Μπλέσσας
ΤΠΚ Μυκόνιος
ΤΠΚ Τρουπάκης || 4 || Upgraded (2006). Fitted with MM38 Exocets
.
|-
| La Combattante IIIb
|| || HS Kavaloudis
HS Degiannis
HS Xenos
HS Simitzopoulos
HS Starakis || P 24
P 26
P 27
P 28
P 29 || ΤΠΚ Καβαλούδης
ΤΠΚ Ντεγιάννης
ΤΠΚ Ξένος
ΤΠΚ Σιμιτζόπουλος
ΤΠΚ Σταράκης || 5 || Upgraded (2006-2011). Fitted with P24-P29 Penguins (Mk2/Mod3).
|-
| La Combattante IIa
|| || HS Votsis
HS Pezopoulos
HS Maridakis || P 72
P 73
P 75 || ΤΠΚ Βότσης
ΤΠΚ Πεζόπουλος
ΤΠΚ Μαριδάκης || 3 || Fitted with RGM-84 Harpoons.
|-
! colspan="7" style="background:lightsteelblue;" |Submarines
|-
| Glafkos (Type: 209 (1100)
) || || HS Nireus
HS Triton
HS Proteus || S 111
S 112
S 113 || Υ/Β Νηρεύς
Υ/Β Τρίτων
Υ/Β Πρωτεύς || 3 || Program "Neptune I" upgrades.
|-
| Poseidon (Type: 209 (1200)
) || || HS Poseidon
HS Amphitriti
HS Okeanos
HS Pontos || S 116
S 117
S 118
S 119 || Υ/Β Ποσειδών
Υ/Β Αμφιτρίτη
Υ/Β Ωκεανός
Υ/Β Πόντος || 4 || Program "Neptune II" upgrades (Program canceled after the modernization of the first boat Okeanos).
|-
| Papanikolis (Type: 214
) || || HS Papanikolis
HS Pipinos
HS Matrozos
HS Katsonis
** HS ???
** HS ???
(**Under Construction) || S 120
S 121
S 122
S 123
S 124
S 125 || Υ/Β Παπανικολής
Υ/Β Πιπίνος
Υ/Β Ματρώζος
Υ/Β Κατσώνης
Υ/Β ???
Υ/Β ??? || 1 || The remaining 3 submarines are under sea trials in Skaramagas and 2 more will be built in Greece to replace the Neptune II modernization program.
|-
! colspan="7" style="background:lightsteelblue;" |Mine-Sweepers
|-
| Type: Coastal || || HS Alkyon
HS Avra
HS Aidon
HS Kichli
HS Pleias || M 211
M 214
M 240
M 241
M 248 || Ν/Α Αλκυών
Ν/Α Αύρα
Ν/Α Αηδών
Ν/Α Κίχλη
Ν/Α Πλειάς || 5 ||
|-
| Hunt
Osprey
|| || HS Evropi
HS Kallisto
HS Evniki
HS Kalypso || M 62
M 63
M 61
M 64 || Ν/ΘΗ Ευρώπη
Ν/ΘΗ Καλλιστώ
Ν/Α Ευνίκη
Ν/Α Καλυψώ || 4 || HS "Europa" is ex RN HMS Bicester
, M-36.
HS "Kalypso" is ex RN HMS Berkeley
, M-40.
----HS "Evniki" is ex USN USS Pelican
, MHC-53.
HS "Kalypso" is ex USN USS Heron
, MHC-52.
Two more Hunters Class Osprey
are expected to be commissioned in the HN
in the near future, the USS Osprey (MHC-51) and USS Robin (MHC-54). See S. 3052: Naval Vessel Transfer Act of 2008 for details. The Congress of the USA approved the transfer on September 10, 2008.
|-
! colspan="7" style="background:lightsteelblue;" |Torpedo Retrievers
|-
| Class: 430/430A || || HS Arachthos
HS Evrotas
HS Nestos || A 461
A 460
A 463 || ΠΑΤ Αραχθός
ΠΑΤ Ευρώτας
ΠΑΤ Νέστος || 3 ||
|-
! colspan="7" style="background:lightsteelblue;" |Landing crafts
|-
| Jason LST ||
|| HS Chios
HS Samos
HS Ikaria
HS Lesvos
HS Rodos || L 173
L 174
L 175
L 176
L 177 || Α/Γ Χίος
Α/Γ Σάμος
Α/Γ Ικαρία
Α/Γ Λέσβος
Α/Γ Ρόδος || 5 || Military lift of 300 troops plus vehicles; 4 LCVPs.
|-
| LCU (Type: 520)
|| || HS Ios
HS Paros
HS Sikinos
HS Irakleia
HS Pholegandros || L 167
L 179
L 168
L 169
L 170 || Α/Β 'Ιος
Α/Β Πάρος
Α/Β Σίκινος
Α/Β Ηρακλειά
Α/Β Φολέγανδρος || 5 ||
|-
| Zubr
|| || HS Kephallenia
HS Ithaki
HS Kerkyra
HS Zakynthos || L 180
L 181
L 182
L 183 || ΠΤΜ Κεφαλληνία
ΠΤΜ Ιθάκη
ΠΤΜ Κέρκυρα
ΠΤΜ Ζάκυνθος || 4 || Military lift of total 130 tons of cargo (battle tanks, personnel carriers,
troops or combinations of those).
|-
! colspan="7" style="background:lightsteelblue;" |Patrol boats
|-
| Tjeld
(Type: Nasty)
(Type: Esterel) ||
|| HS Andromeda
HS Kyknos
HS Pegasus
HS Toxotis
HS Diopos Antoniou
HS Kelevstis Stamou || P 196
P 198
P 199
P 228
Ρ 286
Ρ 287 || ΠΠ Ανδρομέδα
ΠΠ Κύκνος
ΠΠ Πήγασος
ΠΠ Τοξότης
ΠΠ Κ/Β Δίοπος Αντωνίου
ΠΠ Κ/Β Κελευστής Στάμου || 6 || Formerly called: torpedo boats.
|-
! colspan="7" style="background:lightsteelblue;" |Transport
|-
| Personnel Transport ||
|| HS Pandora
HS Pandrosos
HS Naxos
HS Serifos || A 419
A 420
L 178
L 195 || ΠΜΠ Πανδώρα
ΠΜΠ Πάνδροσος
ΠΜΠ Νάξος
ΠΜΠ Σέριφος || 4 || PTV "Naxos" and PTV "Serifos" are converted LCUs.
|-
! colspan="7" style="background:lightsteelblue;" |Tankers
|-
| Oil Tankers || || HS Zeus
HS Ouranos
HS Hyperion
HS Orion || A 375
A 416
A 417
A 376 || Π/Φ Ζεύς
Π/Φ Ουρανός
Π/Φ Υπερίων
Π/Φ Ωρίων || 4 ||
|-
| Water Tankers || || HS Kalliroe
HS Trichonis
HS Doirani
HS Kerkini
HS Prespa
HS Stymphalia || A 468
A 466
A 476
A 433
A 434
A 469 || Υ/Φ Καλλιρόη
Υ/Φ Τριχωνίς
Υ/Φ Δοϊράνη
Υ/Φ Κερκίνη
Υ/Φ Πρέσπα
Υ/Φ Στυμφαλία || 6 ||
|-
! colspan="7" style="background:lightsteelblue;" |Other
|-
| Oceanographic & Scientific Research
||
|| HS Naftilos
HS Pytheas
HS Strabon
HS Akatos 14 || A 478
A 474
A 476
AΚ 14 || Υ/Γ-Ω/Κ Ναυτίλος
Υ/Γ-Ω/Κ Πυθέας
Υ/Γ-Ω/Κ Στράβων
Υ/Γ-Ω/Κ Άκατος 14 || 4 ||
|-
| Auxiliary Vessels
Class: Etna (AOR)
Class: Thetis (AN 103) Net/Buoy Tender|| || HS Promitheus
HS Thetis|| A 374
A 307 || ΠΓΥ Προμηθεύς
ΦΘ Θέτις || 1
1 ||
|-
| Lighthouse Tenders ||
|| HS Karavogiannos
HS Lykoudis || A 479
A 481 || ΠΦΑ Καραβόγιαννος
ΠΦΑ Λυκούδης || 2 ||
|-
| Replenishment Ships
Class: 701C (Type: Luneburg) ||
|| HS Axios
HS Aliakmon || A 464
A 470 || Π/Φ Αξιός
Π/Φ Αλιάκμων || 2 ||
|-
! colspan="7" style="background:lightsteelblue;" |Memorial Ships
|-
| Pisa-class Armored Cruiser
||
|| HS Georgios Averof || - || Θ/Κ Γεώργιος Αβέρωφ || 1 || Museum ship
. The ship is regarded as in active service, carrying the Rear Admiral's Rank Flag. It is the only Armored Cruiser
worldwide still in existence.
|-
| Trireme
||
|| HS Olympias
|| - || Τριήρης Ολυμπιάς || 1 || Olympias is a reconstruction of an ancient Athenian trireme. She is hand-built and considered in active service.
|-
! colspan="7" style="background:lightsteelblue;" |Tugboats
|-
| Tugboat || || HS Aias
HS Gigas
HS Danaos
HS Iason
HS Minos
HS Nestor
HS Pelias
HS Persefs
HS Adamastos
HS Atrefs
HS Atromitos
HS Achillefs
HS Diomidis
HS Odyssefs
HS Romaleos
HS Thisefs || A 412
A 432
A 427
A 424
A 436
A 421
A 437
A 429
A 411
A 439
A 410
A 409
A 440
A 425
A 442
A 441 || Ρ/Κ Αίας
Ρ/Κ Γίγας
Ρ/Κ Δαναός
Ρ/Κ Ιάσων
Ρ/Κ Μίνως
Ρ/Κ Νέστωρ
Ρ/Κ Πελίας
Ρ/Κ Περσεύς
Ρ/Κ Αδάμαστος
Ρ/Κ Ατρεύς
Ρ/Κ Ατρόμητος
Ρ/Κ Αχιλλεύς
Ρ/Κ Διομήδης
Ρ/Κ Οδυσσεύς
Ρ/Κ Ρωμαλέος
Ρ/Κ Θησεύς || 16 || The Navy operates a mixed fleet of tugboats based at the two major naval docks of Salamis and Souda Bay. The list includes both open sea and harbour tugboats.
! style="text-align:left; background:#eec;"|Origin
! style="text-align:left; background:#eec;"|Type
! style="text-align:left; background:#eec;"|Versions
! style="text-align:left; background:#eec;"|In Service
! style="text-align:left; background:#eec;"|Total Numbers
! style="text-align:left; background:#eec;"|Notes
! style="text-align:left; background:#eec;"|Photo
|-
| Sikorsky S-70 Aegean Hawk
|| ||Anti-submarine warfare
|| S-70B-6
S-70B || 8
3 || 11 || ||.jpg)
|-
| Agusta-Bell AB-212
|| || Anti-submarine warfare
Naval ESM || AB-212 ASW
AB-212 EW || 8
2 || 10 || Upgraded naval version of the UH-1N Twin Huey
. The 2 AB-212EW are in storage. ||
|-
| Aérospatiale Alouette III
|| || Trainer
|| SA-319B || 2 || 2 || ||
Navy
A navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions...
force of Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, part of the Greek Armed Forces
Military of Greece
The armed forces of Greece consist of:* The Hellenic National Defense General Staff* The Hellenic Army* The Hellenic Navy* The Hellenic Air ForceThe civilian authority for the Greek military is the Ministry of National Defense....
. The modern Greek navy has its roots in the naval forces of various Aegean Islands
Aegean Islands
The Aegean Islands are the group of islands in the Aegean Sea, with mainland Greece to the west and north and Turkey to the east; the island of Crete delimits the sea to the south, those of Rhodes, Karpathos and Kasos to the southeast...
, which fought in the Greek War of Independence
Greek War of Independence
The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution was a successful war of independence waged by the Greek revolutionaries between...
. During the periods of monarchy
Kingdom of Greece
The Kingdom of Greece was a state established in 1832 in the Convention of London by the Great Powers...
(1833–1924 and 1936–1973) it was known as the Royal Navy (Βασιλικόν Ναυτικόν, Vasilikón Naftikón, abbreviated ΒΝ).
The total displacement of all the navy's vessels is approximately 150,000 tons.
The motto of the Hellenic Navy is "Μέγα το της Θαλάσσης Κράτος" from Thucydides
Thucydides
Thucydides was a Greek historian and author from Alimos. His History of the Peloponnesian War recounts the 5th century BC war between Sparta and Athens to the year 411 BC...
' account of Pericles
Pericles
Pericles was a prominent and influential statesman, orator, and general of Athens during the city's Golden Age—specifically, the time between the Persian and Peloponnesian wars...
' oration on the eve of the Peloponnesian War
Peloponnesian War
The Peloponnesian War, 431 to 404 BC, was an ancient Greek war fought by Athens and its empire against the Peloponnesian League led by Sparta. Historians have traditionally divided the war into three phases...
. This has been roughly translated as "Great is the country that controls the sea". The Hellenic Navy's emblem consists of an anchor
Anchor
An anchor is a device, normally made of metal, that is used to connect a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the vessel from drifting due to wind or current. The word derives from Latin ancora, which itself comes from the Greek ἄγκυρα .Anchors can either be temporary or permanent...
in front of a crossed Christian cross
Christian cross
The Christian cross, seen as a representation of the instrument of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, is the best-known religious symbol of Christianity...
and trident
Trident
A trident , also called a trishul or leister or gig, is a three-pronged spear. It is used for spear fishing and was also a military weapon. Tridents are featured widely in mythical, historical and modern culture. The major Hindu god, Shiva the Destroyer and the sea god Poseidon or Neptune are...
, with the cross symbolizing Greek Orthodoxy
Greek Orthodox Church
The Greek Orthodox Church is the body of several churches within the larger communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity sharing a common cultural tradition whose liturgy is also traditionally conducted in Koine Greek, the original language of the New Testament...
, and the trident symbolizing Poseidon
Poseidon
Poseidon was the god of the sea, and, as "Earth-Shaker," of the earthquakes in Greek mythology. The name of the sea-god Nethuns in Etruscan was adopted in Latin for Neptune in Roman mythology: both were sea gods analogous to Poseidon...
, the god of the sea in Greek mythology
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
. Pericles' words are written across the top of the emblem.
History
The history of the Hellenic Navy begins with the birth of modern GreeceGreece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, and due to the maritime nature of the country, it has always featured prominently in modern Greece's military history.
The Navy during the Revolution
Greek War of Independence
The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution was a successful war of independence waged by the Greek revolutionaries between...
, the naval forces of the Greeks consisted primarily of the merchant fleet of the Saronic
Saronic Gulf
The Saronic Gulf or Gulf of Aegina in Greece forms part of the Aegean Sea and defines the eastern side of the isthmus of Corinth. It is the eastern terminus of the Corinth Canal, which cuts across the isthmus.-Geography:The gulf includes the islands of; Aegina, Salamis, and Poros along with...
islanders from Hydra
Hydra, Saronic Islands
Hydra is one of the Saronic Islands of Greece, located in the Aegean Sea between the Saronic Gulf and the Argolic Gulf. It is separated from the Peloponnese by narrow strip of water...
, Spetsai and Poros
Poros
Poros is a small Greek island-pair in the southern part of the Saronic Gulf, at a distance about 58 km south from Piraeus and separated from the Peloponnese by a 200-metre wide sea channel, with the town of Galatas on the mainland across the strait. Its surface is about and it has 4,117...
and also the islanders of Psara
Psara
Psara is a Greek island in the Aegean Sea. Together with the small uninhabited island of Antipsara it forms the municipality of Psara. It is part of the Chios peripheral unit, which is part of the North Aegean Periphery. The only town of the island and seat of the municipality is also called...
and Samos
Samos Island
Samos is a Greek island in the eastern Aegean Sea, south of Chios, north of Patmos and the Dodecanese, and off the coast of Asia Minor, from which it is separated by the -wide Mycale Strait. It is also a separate regional unit of the North Aegean region, and the only municipality of the regional...
. The fleet was of crucial importance to the success of the revolt. Its goal was to prevent as much as possible the Ottoman Navy from resupplying the isolated Ottoman garrisons and land reinforcements from the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
's Asian provinces.
Although Greek crews were experienced seamen, the light Greek ships, mostly armed merchantmen, were unable to stand up to the large Turkish ships of the line
Ship of the line
A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed from the 17th through the mid-19th century to take part in the naval tactic known as the line of battle, in which two columns of opposing warships would manoeuvre to bring the greatest weight of broadside guns to bear...
in direct combat. So the Greeks resorted to the use of fireships , with great success. It was in the use of such ships that courageous seamen like Constantine Kanaris
Constantine Kanaris
Constantine Kanaris or Canaris was a Greek Prime Minister, admiral and politician who in his youth was also a freedom fighter, pirate, privateer and merchantman.-Early life:...
won international renown. Under the leadership of capable admirals, most prominently Andreas Miaoulis of Hydra, the Greek fleet achieved early victories, guaranteeing the survival of the revolt in the mainland.
However, as Greece became embroiled in a civil war, the Sultan called upon his strongest subject, Muhammad Ali of Egypt
Muhammad Ali of Egypt
Muhammad Ali Pasha al-Mas'ud ibn Agha was a commander in the Ottoman army, who became Wāli, and self-declared Khedive of Egypt and Sudan...
, for aid. Plagued by internal strife and financial difficulties in keeping the fleet in constant readiness, the Greeks failed to prevent the capture and destruction of Kasos
Kasos
Kasos is a Greek island municipality in the Dodecanese. It is the southernmost island in the Aegean Sea, and is part of the Karpathos peripheral unit. As of 2001, its population was 990. The island has been called in , .-Geography:...
and Psara
Psara
Psara is a Greek island in the Aegean Sea. Together with the small uninhabited island of Antipsara it forms the municipality of Psara. It is part of the Chios peripheral unit, which is part of the North Aegean Periphery. The only town of the island and seat of the municipality is also called...
in 1824, or the landing of the Egyptian army at Modon
MODON
frame|Established : 2001 Type : [[Public]]Category : [[Industrial district|Industrial cities]]Head Office : [[Riyadh]]Country : [[Saudi Arabia]]Website :...
. Despite victories at Samos
Samos Island
Samos is a Greek island in the eastern Aegean Sea, south of Chios, north of Patmos and the Dodecanese, and off the coast of Asia Minor, from which it is separated by the -wide Mycale Strait. It is also a separate regional unit of the North Aegean region, and the only municipality of the regional...
and Gerontas, the Revolution was threatened with collapse until the intervention of the Great Powers in the Battle of Navarino
Battle of Navarino
The naval Battle of Navarino was fought on 20 October 1827, during the Greek War of Independence in Navarino Bay , on the west coast of the Peloponnese peninsula, in the Ionian Sea. A combined Ottoman and Egyptian armada was destroyed by a combined British, French and Russian naval force...
in 1827. There the Egypto-Ottoman fleet was decisively defeated by the combined fleets of the Britain
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
, France
July Monarchy
The July Monarchy , officially the Kingdom of France , was a period of liberal constitutional monarchy in France under King Louis-Philippe starting with the July Revolution of 1830 and ending with the Revolution of 1848...
and the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
, effectively securing the independence of Greece.
When Ioannis Capodistrias became governor of newly liberated Greece in 1828, the Greek fleet consisted of few remaining ships, which had participated in the war for independence. The first minister of "Naval affairs" was Constantine Kanaris, and the most powerful ship of the fleet at that time, the frigate Hellas
Greek frigate Hellas
The Greek frigate Hellas was the flagship of the Revolutionary Hellenic Navy. After an arbitration hearing in New York due to financial default by the Greek government, she was delivered to Greece in 1826...
, had been constructed in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1825. The Hellenic Navy established its headquarters at the island of Poros
Poros
Poros is a small Greek island-pair in the southern part of the Saronic Gulf, at a distance about 58 km south from Piraeus and separated from the Peloponnese by a 200-metre wide sea channel, with the town of Galatas on the mainland across the strait. Its surface is about and it has 4,117...
and the building of a new series of ships began at the naval base while old ships were gradually being retired. Furthermore, continuous efforts towards the education of officers were initiated. Young people were initially trained at the military school of Scholi Evelpidon and afterwards they were transferred to the navy, as there was no such thing as a Naval Academy.
In 1831, Greece descended into anarchy
Anarchy
Anarchy , has more than one colloquial definition. In the United States, the term "anarchy" typically is meant to refer to a society which lacks publicly recognized government or violently enforced political authority...
with numerous areas, including Mani
Mani Peninsula
The Mani Peninsula , also long known as Maina or Maïna, is a geographical and cultural region in Greece. Mani is the central peninsula of the three which extend southwards from the Peloponnese in southern Greece. To the east is the Laconian Gulf, to the west the Messenian Gulf...
and Hydra
Hydra, Saronic Islands
Hydra is one of the Saronic Islands of Greece, located in the Aegean Sea between the Saronic Gulf and the Argolic Gulf. It is separated from the Peloponnese by narrow strip of water...
, in revolt. It was during this revolt that the flagship Hellas
Greek frigate Hellas
The Greek frigate Hellas was the flagship of the Revolutionary Hellenic Navy. After an arbitration hearing in New York due to financial default by the Greek government, she was delivered to Greece in 1826...
, docked at Poros, was set on fire by Admiral Andreas Miaoulis. Capodistrias was assassinated a few months after.
The Royal Hellenic Navy of King Otto
When the new King OttoOtto of Greece
Otto, Prince of Bavaria, then Othon, King of Greece was made the first modern King of Greece in 1832 under the Convention of London, whereby Greece became a new independent kingdom under the protection of the Great Powers .The second son of the philhellene King Ludwig I of Bavaria, Otto ascended...
arrived in the Greek capital, Nafplion
Nafplion
Nafplio is a seaport town in the Peloponnese in Greece that has expanded up the hillsides near the north end of the Argolic Gulf. The town was the first capital of modern Greece, from the start of the Greek Revolution in 1821 until 1834. Nafplio is now the capital of the peripheral unit of...
, in 1832 aboard the British warship HMS Madagascar
HMS Madagascar (1822)
HMS Madagascar was a 46-gun fifth-rate Seringapatam-class frigate, built at Bombay and launched on 15 November 1822.The Bavarian Prince Otto who had been selected as the King of Greece was delivered to his new capital Nafplion in 1833....
, the Greek fleet consisted of 1 corvette, 3 brigs, 6 gollettes, 2 gunboats, 2 steamboats and a few more small vessels. The first Naval School was founded in 1846 on the Corvette Loudovikos and Leonidas Palaskas was assigned as its director. However the inefficient training of the officers, coupled with conflict between those who pursued modernization and those who were stalwarts of the traditions of the veterans of the struggle for independence, resulted in a restricted and inefficient navy, which was limited to policing the sea and the pursuit of pirates.
During the 1850s, the more progressive elements of the navy won out and the fleet was augmented with more ships. In 1855, the first iron propeller-driven ships were ordered from England. These were the steamships Panopi, Pliksavra, Afroessa, and Sfendoni.
Growth of the Navy under King George
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
revolt, the ships of the Royal Hellenic Navy were in no condition to support it. Such failure led to the government awakening to the problem of naval insufficiency and the adoption of a policy stating that: "The navy, as it represents a necessary weapon for Greece, should only be created for war and aim to victory." Because of this, the fleet was supplied with new and bigger ships, reflecting a number of innovations including the use of iron in shipbuilding industry and the invention of the torpedo; with these advances, the effectiveness and the appearance of the Hellenic Navy changed.
Meanwhile after 1878, because of the Russo-Turkish War and the need to expand the Greek navy, a new and larger naval base was established in the area of Faneromeni of Salamis
Salamis Island
Salamis , is the largest Greek island in the Saronic Gulf, about 1 nautical mile off-coast from Piraeus and about 16 km west of Athens. The chief city, Salamina , lies in the west-facing core of the crescent on Salamis Bay, which opens into the Saronic Gulf...
and a few years later it was transferred to the area of Arapis where it remains today. At the same time the Naval Academy
Hellenic Naval Academy
The Hellenic Naval Academy is a military academy with university status and has the responsibility to educate and suitably train competent Naval Officers for the Hellenic Navy. Its full name is Hellenic Naval Cadets Academy and was founded in 1845. The academy is one of the oldest educational...
was founded and Ilias Kanellopoulos was made Director. A committee from France headed by Admiral Lejeune introduced a new, advanced naval organization and the methodological training of enlisted personnel through the establishment of a training school in the old building of the naval base in Poros. During the government of Charilaos Trikoupis
Charilaos Trikoupis
Charilaos Trikoupis was a Greek politician who served as a Prime Minister of Greece seven times from 1875 until 1895....
in 1889, the fleet was further increased with the acquisition of new battleships:Hydra
Greek battleship Hydra
The Ironclad warship Hydra , named for one of the Saronic Gulf islands which played a key role in the war at sea during the Greek War of Independence, served in the Royal Hellenic Navy from 1889 - 1929....
, Spetsai
Greek battleship Spetsai
The Spetsai was a Greek steel battleship serving in the Royal Hellenic Navy from 1890 until 1920. She was named after the Saronic Gulf island of Spetses, which played a key role in the war at sea during the Greek War of Independence.The ship, along with her two sister ships of the Hydra Class, was...
, and Psara
Greek battleship Psara
The steel ironclad warship Psara , named for one of the Aegean Sea islands that played a key role in the war at sea during the Greek War of Independence, served in the Royal Hellenic Navy from 1889 - 1929....
from France. Thus, when Greece went to war in the Greco-Turkish War
Greco-Turkish War (1897)
The Greco-Turkish War of 1897, also called the Thirty Days' War and known as the Black '97 in Greece, was a war fought between the Kingdom of Greece and Ottoman Empire. Its immediate cause was the question over the status of the Ottoman province of Crete, whose Greek majority long desired union...
in 1897, the Hellenic Navy established its dominance in the Aegean Sea, however, it was unable to change the outcome of the war on land, which was a national humiliation.
In 1907, the Hellenic Navy General Staff (Γενικό Επιτελείο Ναυτικού) was founded, with then-Captain Pavlos Kountouriotis
Pavlos Kountouriotis
Pavlos Kountouriotis was a Greek admiral and naval hero during the Balkan Wars and the first and third President of the Second Hellenic Republic.-Family Background:The Kountouriotes was a prominent Arvanite family from the island of Hydra...
as its first head. After the war, in 1897, the Ottoman Empire embarked on a program of naval expansion for its fleet and as a response to that, in 1909, the cruiser Georgios Averof
Greek cruiser Georgios Averof
Georgios Averof is a Greek warship which served as the flagship of the Royal Hellenic Navy during most of the first half of the 20th Century...
was bought from Italy. In 1910, an English naval mission arrived, headed by Admiral Tuffnel, in order to recommend improvements in the organization and training of the navy. The mission led to the adoption of the English style of management, organization and training, especially in the area of strategy.
World War I and after: 1914–1940
Balkan Wars
The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe in 1912 and 1913.By the early 20th century, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia, the countries of the Balkan League, had achieved their independence from the Ottoman Empire, but large parts of their ethnic...
, was composed of a destroyer and battleship fleet. Its mission was primarily offensive, aiming at capturing the Ottoman-held islands of the Eastern Aegean, and establish naval supremacy in the area. To that end, its commander-in-chief, Rear Admiral Pavlos Kountouriotis
Pavlos Kountouriotis
Pavlos Kountouriotis was a Greek admiral and naval hero during the Balkan Wars and the first and third President of the Second Hellenic Republic.-Family Background:The Kountouriotes was a prominent Arvanite family from the island of Hydra...
, established a forward base at the Moudros
Moudros
Moudros is a town and a former municipality on the island of Lemnos, North Aegean, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Lemnos, of which it is a municipal unit. It covers the entire eastern peninsula of the island, with a land area of 185.127 km²,...
bay at Lemnos
Lemnos
Lemnos is an island of Greece in the northern part of the Aegean Sea. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within the Lemnos peripheral unit, which is part of the North Aegean Periphery. The principal town of the island and seat of the municipality is Myrina...
, directly opposite the Dardanelles
Dardanelles
The Dardanelles , formerly known as the Hellespont, is a narrow strait in northwestern Turkey connecting the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara. It is one of the Turkish Straits, along with its counterpart the Bosphorus. It is located at approximately...
straits. After defeating the two Turkish sallies from the Straits at Elli
Naval Battle of Elli
The Battle of Elli , also known as the Battle of the Dardanelles, took place near the mouth of the Dardanelles on as part of the First Balkan War between the fleets of Greece and the Ottoman Empire...
(December 1912) and Lemnos
Naval Battle of Lemnos
The Battle of Lemnos , fought on , was a naval battle during the First Balkan War, which defeated the second and last attempt of the Ottoman Empire to break the Greek naval blockade of the Dardanelles and reclaim supremacy over the Aegean Sea from Greece....
(January 1913), the Aegean Sea was secured for Greece.
The Balkan Wars were followed by a rapid escalation between Greece and the Ottoman Empire over the as yet unclear status of the islands of the Eastern Aegean. Both governments embarked on a naval armaments race, with Greece purchasing the obsolete battleships Limnos
Greek Battleship Limnos
Limnos, sometimes spelled Lemnos , was a 13,000 ton Mississippi-class Greek battleship named for a crucial naval battle of the First Balkan War.-History of the ship:...
and Kilkis
Greek Battleship Kilkis
Kilkis was a 13,000 ton Mississippi-class battleship originally built by the US Navy in 1904–1908. The Greek Navy purchased the ship in 1914, along with her sister , renamed Limnos. Kilkis was named for the Battle of Kilkis-Lahanas, a crucial engagement of the Second Balkan War...
and the light cruiser Elli
Greek cruiser Elli
Elli was a 2,600 ton Greek light cruiser named for a naval battle of the First Balkan War in which Greece was victorious....
as well as ordering two dreadnought
Dreadnought
The dreadnought was the predominant type of 20th-century battleship. The first of the kind, the Royal Navy's had such an impact when launched in 1906 that similar battleships built after her were referred to as "dreadnoughts", and earlier battleships became known as pre-dreadnoughts...
s, the Vasilefs Konstantinos
Bretagne class battleship
The Bretagne class battleships were the first "super-dreadnoughts" built for the French Navy during the First World War. The class comprised three vessels: Bretagne, the lead ship, Provence, and Lorraine. They were an improvement of the previous , and mounted ten guns instead of twelve guns as on...
and the Salamis
Greek battleship Salamis
Salamis was a dreadnought battleship ordered for the Greek Navy from the AG Vulcan shipyard in Hamburg, Germany in 1912. She was ordered in response to Ottoman naval expansion begun in 1911. The ship was to have been 569 feet 11 inches long, armed with eight guns, and have had a top...
and a number of destroyers. However, with the outbreak of the First World War, construction of the dreadnoughts stopped.
Initially during the war, Greece followed a course of neutrality, with the Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos
Eleftherios Venizelos
Eleftherios Venizelos was an eminent Greek revolutionary, a prominent and illustrious statesman as well as a charismatic leader in the early 20th century. Elected several times as Prime Minister of Greece and served from 1910 to 1920 and from 1928 to 1932...
favoring the Entente
Triple Entente
The Triple Entente was the name given to the alliance among Britain, France and Russia after the signing of the Anglo-Russian Entente in 1907....
and pro-German King Constantine I
Constantine I of Greece
Constantine I was King of Greece from 1913 to 1917 and from 1920 to 1922. He was commander-in-chief of the Hellenic Army during the unsuccessful Greco-Turkish War of 1897 and led the Greek forces during the successful Balkan Wars of 1912–1913, in which Greece won Thessaloniki and doubled in...
advocating neutrality. This dispute eventually led to a deep political conflict, known as the "National Schism". In November 1916, in order to apply pressure on the royal government in Athens, the French confiscated the Greek ships. They continued to operate with French crews, primarily in convoy escort and patrol duties in the Aegean, until Greece entered the war on the side of the Allies in June 1917, at which point they were returned to Greece. Subsequently, the Greek Navy took part in the Allied operations in the Aegean, in the Allied expedition
Allied Intervention in the Russian Civil War
The Allied intervention was a multi-national military expedition launched in 1918 during World War I which continued into the Russian Civil War. Its operations included forces from 14 nations and were conducted over a vast territory...
in support of Denikin's White Armies in the Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, and in the operations of the Greco-Turkish War of 1919–1922 in Asia Minor.
After Greece's catastrophic defeat, the 1920s and early 1930s were a politically turbulent period, with the economy in a bad state, so the Navy received no new units, apart from the modernization of four destroyers and the acquisition of six French submarines in 1927 and four Italian destroyers
Freccia class destroyer
The Freccia class destroyer was a class of destroyers built for the Regia Marina, the Italian Royal Navy, in the 1930s. It was basically an enlarged version of the earlier Turbine class destroyers...
in 1929.
World War II
During the Greco-Italian War
Greco-Italian War
The Greco-Italian War was a conflict between Italy and Greece which lasted from 28 October 1940 to 23 April 1941. It marked the beginning of the Balkans Campaign of World War II...
, the Navy took over convoy escort missions in the Ionian Sea
Ionian Sea
The Ionian Sea , is an arm of the Mediterranean Sea, south of the Adriatic Sea. It is bounded by southern Italy including Calabria, Sicily and the Salento peninsula to the west, southern Albania to the north, and a large number of Greek islands, including Corfu, Zante, Kephalonia, Ithaka, and...
and even embarked on three raids against the Italian supply convoys in the Strait of Otranto
Strait of Otranto
The Strait of Otranto connects the Adriatic Sea with the Ionian Sea and separates Italy from Albania. Its width at Punta Palascìa, east of Salento is less than . The strait is named after the Italian city of Otranto.- History :...
. The most important role was given to the submarines, which although obsolete, managed to sink several Italian cargo ships in the Adriatic.
But when Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
attacked Greece
Battle of Greece
The Battle of Greece is the common name for the invasion and conquest of Greece by Nazi Germany in April 1941. Greece was supported by British Commonwealth forces, while the Germans' Axis allies Italy and Bulgaria played secondary roles...
, the RHN suffered heavily at the hands of the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
, with 25 ships, including the old battleship, now artillery training ship, Kilkis
Greek Battleship Kilkis
Kilkis was a 13,000 ton Mississippi-class battleship originally built by the US Navy in 1904–1908. The Greek Navy purchased the ship in 1914, along with her sister , renamed Limnos. Kilkis was named for the Battle of Kilkis-Lahanas, a crucial engagement of the Second Balkan War...
and the hulk of her sister Limnos
Greek Battleship Limnos
Limnos, sometimes spelled Lemnos , was a 13,000 ton Mississippi-class Greek battleship named for a crucial naval battle of the First Balkan War.-History of the ship:...
, lost within a few days in April 1941. It was then decided to shift the remaining fleet (one cruiser -the famous Averof
Greek cruiser Georgios Averof
Georgios Averof is a Greek warship which served as the flagship of the Royal Hellenic Navy during most of the first half of the 20th Century...
-, three destroyers and five submarines) to the join up with the British Mediterranean Fleet at Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
.
As the war progressed, the number of Hellenic Royal Navy vessels increased after the concession of several destroyers and submarines by the British Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
. The most notable aspects of the Hellenic Royal Navy's participation in World War II include the operations of the destroyer Vassilissa Olga
Greek destroyer Vasilissa Olga (D 15)
Vasilissa Olga was a Greek destroyer of the Vasilefs Georgios class, which served with the Royal Hellenic Navy during the Second World War, becoming its most distinguished and successful ship until her loss in 1943...
which, until sunk in Leros
Leros
Leros is a Greek island and municipality in the Dodecanese in the southern Aegean Sea. It lies 317 km from Athens's port of Piraeus, from which it can be reached by an 11-hour ferry ride . Leros is part of the Kalymnos peripheral unit...
on September 23, 1943, was the most successful Allied destroyer in the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
; the participation of two destroyers in Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
; and the story of the destroyer Adrias, which while operating close to the coast of Kalymnos
Kalymnos
Kalymnos, is a Greek island and municipality in the southeastern Aegean Sea. It belongs to the Dodecanese and is located to the west of the peninsula of Bodrum , between the islands of Kos and Leros : the latter is linked to it through a series of islets...
in October 1943 hit a mine, resulting in the loss of the vessel's prow, while blowing the two-gun forward turret over the bridge. After some minor repairs at Gümüşlük Bay in Turkey the Adrias managed to return to Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
in a 400 miles (643.7 km) trip, even though all the forepart of the ship, up to the bridge, was missing.
Post war era
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Royal Hellenic Navy was significantly strengthened by the concession of British and Italian ships. The organisation also changed in line with modern naval doctrines of that era after the entrance into NATO in 1952. At the beginning of the 1950s, US military aid formed the core of the country's armed forces. The Royal Hellenic Navy received the first Bostwick-class destroyers which took on the name Beasts (Θηρία), while withdrawing the British ones.
The next significant change was during the early 1970s, when Greece was the first Mediterranean naval force to order missile-equipped Fast Attack Craft
Fast Attack Craft
Fast Attack Craft are small, fast, agile and offensive warships, that are armed with anti-ship missiles, guns or torpedoes. These are usually operated in close proximity to land as they lack both the sea-keeping and all-round defensive capabilities to survive in blue water. The size of the vessel...
(Combattante II) and the Type 209 submarine
Type 209 submarine
The Type 209 is a class of diesel-electric attack submarine developed exclusively for export in the late 1960s by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft of Germany...
s, whereas US military aid continued in the form of FRAM II
Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization
The Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization program of the United States Navy extended the lives of World War II-era destroyers by shifting their mission from a surface attack role to that of a submarine hunter...
class destroyers. In 1979, Hellenic Navy placed an order in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
for two modern Standard class
Kortenaer class frigate
The Kortenaer class was a class of frigates of the Royal Netherlands Navy. They were built to be a general purpose frigate; able to combat all surface, submarine and aircraft targets. Like some of the other frigates of the 1970s and 1980s, they featured a COGOG propulsion system...
frigates (the Elli class
Elli class frigate
Elli-class vessels are a group of frigates operated by the Hellenic Navy. The ships are of Dutch origin. The first two ships , which had lengthened hangars and different armament were built specifically for the Hellenic Navy...
). These were the first acquisitions of new main surface vessels, rather than the use of second-hand ships, in almost four decades.
1980 to present
MEKO
The MEKO family of warships was developed by the German company Blohm + Voss.MEKO is a registered trademark. The portmanteau stands for "Mehrzweck-Kombination" . It is a concept in modern naval shipbuilding based on modularity of armament, electronics and other equipment, aiming at ease of...
and more Standard class frigates along with the orders for more missile corvettes, Poseidon class Type 209 submarine
Type 209 submarine
The Type 209 is a class of diesel-electric attack submarine developed exclusively for export in the late 1960s by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft of Germany...
submarines and naval helicopters allowed the retirement of the obsolete vessels.
Greece also received four Charles F. Adams class destroyers
Charles F. Adams class destroyer
The Charles F. Adams class is a ship class of 29 guided missile destroyers built between 1958 and 1967. Twenty three ships were built for the United States Navy, 3 for the Royal Australian Navy, and 3 for the West German Bundesmarine. The ships were based on the existing Forrest Sherman class, but...
from the US Navy in 1991-1992. All four have since been decommissioned since their electronics and armament were obsolete while they required large crews.
The advance continued when Greece ordered Type 214 submarine
Type 214 submarine
The Type 214 is a diesel-electric submarine developed by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft GmbH . It features diesel propulsion with an air-independent propulsion system using Siemens polymer electrolyte membrane hydrogen fuel cells...
s that feature an air-independent propulsion
Air-independent propulsion
Air-independent propulsion is a term that encompasses technologies which allow a submarine to operate without the need to surface or use a snorkel to access atmospheric oxygen. The term usually excludes the use of nuclear power, and describes augmenting or replacing the diesel-electric propulsion...
(AIP) system, Sikorsky S-70B-6/10 Aegean Hawk helicopters and Project 1232.2 Zubr class hovercraft
Zubr class LCAC
The Zubr class is a class of air-cushioned landing craft of soviet design. This class of military hovercraft is currently, as of 2008, the world’s largest hovercraft. There are currently nine ships in active service in the world. The Zubr is used by the Russian, Ukrainian, and Greek navies...
from Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and the Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
.
Recent plans included the modernization of Standard class frigates with new electronics and radar systems, the modernization of Glaukos and Poseidon class submarines with new sonars, electronics and air-independent propulsion engines (programs Neptune 1/2)
Main Commands
- Γενικό Επιτελείο Εθνικής Αμύνης (ΓΕΕΘΑ) Hellenic National Defense General StaffHellenic National Defense General StaffThe Hellenic National Defence General Staff is the senior staff of the Hellenic Armed Forces. It was established in 1950, when the separate armed services ministries were consolidated into the Ministry of National Defence...
- Γενικόν Επιτελείον Ναυτικού (ΓΕΝ) Hellenic Navy General Staff
- Αρχηγείον Στόλου (ΑΣ) Fleet Headquarters
- Ναυτική Διοίκηση Αιγαίου (ΝΔΑ) Aegean Sea Naval Command, PiraeusPiraeusPiraeus is a city in the region of Attica, Greece. Piraeus is located within the Athens Urban Area, 12 km southwest from its city center , and lies along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf....
37°56′01"N 23°37′31"E - Ναυτική Διοίκηση Ιονίου (ΝΔΙ) Ionian Sea Naval Command, PatrasPatrasPatras , ) is Greece's third largest urban area and the regional capital of West Greece, located in northern Peloponnese, 215 kilometers west of Athens...
38°15′00"N 21°44′00"E - Ναυτική Διοίκηση Βορείου Ελλάδος (ΝΔΒΕ) Northern Greece Naval Command, ThessalonikiThessalonikiThessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
- Ναυτική Διοίκηση Αιγαίου (ΝΔΑ) Aegean Sea Naval Command, Piraeus
- Διοίκηση Ναυτικής Εκπαίδευσης (ΔΝΕ) Navy Training Command
- Διοίκηση Διοικητικής Μέριμνας (ΔΔΜΝ) Paymaster Command
- Ναύσταθμος Σούδας Souda BaySouda BaySouda Bay is a bay and natural harbour on the northwest coast of the Greek island of Crete. The bay is about 15 km long and only two to four km wide, and a deep natural harbour. It is formed between the Akrotiri peninsula and Cape Drapano, and runs west to east...
Naval Dock Crete - Ναύσταθμος Σαλαμίνας Salamis Naval BaseSalamis Naval BaseThe Salamis Naval Base or Naval Dock Salamis is the largest naval base in Greece. It is located in the northeastern part of Salamis Island and in Amphiali and Skaramanga. It is close to the major population centres of Athens and Piraeus....
37°58′25"N 23°31′42"E and 37°59′22"N 23°43′18"E
- Ναύσταθμος Σούδας Souda Bay
- Υδρογραφική Υπηρεσία Hellenic Navy Hydrographic Service
- Υπηρεσία Φάρων Lighthouse Service
- Αρχηγείον Στόλου (ΑΣ) Fleet Headquarters
Combat Arms
- Διοίκηση Φρεγατών (ΔΦΓ) Frigate Command
- Διοίκηση Κανονιοφόρων (ΔΚΦ) Gunboat Command
- Διοίκηση Ταχέων Σκαφών (ΔΤΣ) Fast Attack Craft Command
- Διοίκηση Υποβρυχίων (ΔΥ) Submarine Command
- Διοίκηση Αμφιβίων Δυνάμεων (ΔΑΔ) Amphibious Assault Forces Command
- Greece does not have a marine corpsMarine corpsA marine is a member of a force that specializes in expeditionary operations such as amphibious assault and occupation. The marines traditionally have strong links with the country's navy...
established as a separate branch attached to the naval service. Instead, the ArmyHellenic ArmyThe Hellenic Army , formed in 1828, is the land force of Greece.The motto of the Hellenic Army is , "Freedom Stems from Valor", from Thucydides's History of the Peloponnesian War...
includes the 32nd Marine Brigade (32η Ταξιαρχία Πεζοναυτών); the Navy provides the landing craft etc.
- Greece does not have a marine corps
- Διοίκηση Υποβρυχίων Καταστροφών (ΔΥΚ) Underwater Demolition CommandUnderwater Demolition CommandThe Underwater Demolition Command , until 2002 known as the Underwater Destruction Unit , is the Greek Navy's elite special warfare unit.-History:...
- Αεροπορία Ναυτικής Συνεργασίας Fleet Air Arm
- Διοίκηση Ελικοπτέρων Ναυτικού (ΔΕΝ) Naval Helicopter Command, Kotroni Naval Fort, 38°08′31"N 23°57′03"E
- 353 Μοίρα Ναυτικής Συνεργασίας (353 ΜΝΑΣ) 353rd Naval Cooperation Squadron, joint operation with Hellenic Air ForceHellenic Air ForceThe Hellenic Air Force, abbreviated to HAF is the air force of Greece. The mission of the Hellenic Air Force is to guard and protect Greek airspace, provide air assistance and support to the Hellenic Army and the Hellenic Navy, as well as the provision of humanitarian aid in Greece and around the...
112 Combat Wing, Elefsis, flying Lockheed P-3B Orion aircraft. 38°04′13"N 23°33′56"E - Ελικοδρομιο Αμφιάλης = Amfiali Heliport 37°59′30"N 23°34′28"E
Combat Service Support
- Σχολή Εξάσκησης Ναυτικής Τακτικής (ΣΕΝΤ) Naval Tactical Training School (under Fleet Headquarters)
Officers
| Officer Grade Structure of the Hellenic Navy | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OF-9 | OF-8 | OF-7 | OF-6 | OF-5 | OF-4 | OF-3 | OF-2 | | OF-1 | |
| Ναύαρχος (Admiral) |
Αντιναύαρχος (Vice Admiral) |
Υποναύαρχος (Rear Admiral) |
Αρχιπλοίαρχος (Commodore) |
Πλοίαρχος (Captain) |
Αντιπλοίαρχος (Commander) |
Πλωτάρχης (Lt. Commander) |
Υποπλοίαρχος (Lieutenant) |
Ανθυποπλοίαρχος (Sub-Lieutenant) |
Σημαιοφόρος (Ensign) |
NCOs and enlisted
| NCO Rank Structure of the Hellenic Navy | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OR-9 | OR-8 | OR-7 | OR-6 | OR-5 | OR-4 | OR-3 | OR-2 | OR-1 |
| Ανθυπασπιστής Anthypaspistis (Warrant Officer) |
Αρχικελευστής Archikelefstis |
Επικελευστής Epikelefstis |
Κελευστής Kelefstis |
Έφεδρος Κελευστής Efedros Kelefstis |
Δίοπος Diopos |
Ναύτης Naftis (Seaman) |
||
| |
|
|
Naval Fleet
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc; width:22%;"|Class (Type)! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Photo
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc; width:14%;"|Name
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc; width:6%;"|#
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc; width:12%;"|Name in Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|In Service
! style="text-align:left; background:#acc;"|Notes
|-
! colspan="7" style="background:lightsteelblue;" |Frigates
|-
| Hydra
Hydra class frigate
The Hydra class are a group of four frigates in service with the Hellenic Navy. They were designed in Germany and are part of the MEKO group of modular warships, in this case the MEKO 200 design. The programme was authorised in 1988 and partially paid for with FMS aid and previsioned for the...
(Type: Meko-200HN
MEKO
The MEKO family of warships was developed by the German company Blohm + Voss.MEKO is a registered trademark. The portmanteau stands for "Mehrzweck-Kombination" . It is a concept in modern naval shipbuilding based on modularity of armament, electronics and other equipment, aiming at ease of...
) ||
|| HS HydraGreek frigate Hydra (F-452)
The Greek Frigate Hydra is the lead ship of the Greek Hydra frigate class and flagship of the Hellenic Navy. It is based on the Blohm + Voss MEKO 200 frigate class and was built in its shipyard; Three more vessels were built by Hellenic Shipyards Co...
HS Spetsai
HS Psara
Greek frigate Psara (F-454)
The Greek Frigate Psara is the third ship of the Greek Hydra frigate class. It is based on the Blohm + Voss MEKO 200 frigate class and was buil by Hellenic Shipyards Co...
HS Salamis || F 452
F 453
F 454
F 455 ||Φ/Γ Ύδρα
Φ/Γ Σπέτσαι
Φ/Γ Ψαρά
Φ/Γ Σαλαμίς || 4 || Within the next 2 years a modernization and upgrading program will be launched for all 4 vessels.
|-
| Elli
Elli class frigate
Elli-class vessels are a group of frigates operated by the Hellenic Navy. The ships are of Dutch origin. The first two ships , which had lengthened hangars and different armament were built specifically for the Hellenic Navy...
(Type: Standard) ||
|| HS ElliHS Limnos
HS Adrias
HS Aigaion
HS Navarinon
HS Kountouriotis
HS Bouboulina
HS Kanaris
HS Themistoklis
HS Nikiforos Fokas || F 450
F 451
F 459
F 460
F 461
F 462
F 463
F 464
F 465
F 466 || Φ/Γ 'Ελλη
Φ/Γ Λήμνος
Φ/Γ Αδρίας
Φ/Γ Αιγαίον
Φ/Γ Ναυαρίνον
Φ/Γ Κουντουριώτης
Φ/Γ Μπουμπουλίνα
Φ/Γ Κανάρης
Φ/Γ Θεμιστοκλής
Φ/Γ Νικηφόρος Φωκάς || 10 || F Elli (F-450) & F Limnos (F 451) built specifically for the Hellenic Navy. Modernization of Six frigates of the S Class completed by the end of 2010.
|-
! colspan="7" style="background:lightsteelblue;" |Gunboats
|-
| Osprey 55
Osprey 55 class gunboat
The gunboat class Osprey 55 is a Danish-designed class of naval ship currently in service in the Hellenic Navy. Two ships were ordered in March 1988. The first one was laid down on 8 May 1989 and launched on 19 December 1989. The second ship was laid down on 9 November 1989 and launched on 16 May...
HSY-55
HSY-55 class gunboat
The gunboat class HSY-55 is a class of naval vessel designed by the Hellenic Navy. This class of ship uses the modular concept so that weapons and sensors can be changed as required. These vessels are similar in appearance to Gunboats Class Osprey 55. The first pair was ordered in 20 February 1990,...
Osprey HSY-56A
Osprey HSY-56A class gunboat
The Gunboat class Osprey HSY-56A is a class of naval vessel currently in service in the Hellenic Navy. These ships are similar to Gunboats Class HSY-55...
||
|| HS ArmatolosHS Navmachos
HS Kasos
HS Polemistis
HS Machitis
HS Nikiphoros
HS Aittitos
HS Krataios || P 18
P 19
P 57
P 61
P 266
P 267
P 268
P 269 || Κ/Φ Αρματωλός
Κ/Φ Ναυμάχος
Κ/Φ Κάσος
Κ/Φ Πολεμιστής
Κ/Φ Μαχητής
Κ/Φ Νικηφόρος
Κ/Φ Αήττητος
Κ/Φ Κραταιός || 8 || Class HSY-55
HSY-55 class gunboat
The gunboat class HSY-55 is a class of naval vessel designed by the Hellenic Navy. This class of ship uses the modular concept so that weapons and sensors can be changed as required. These vessels are similar in appearance to Gunboats Class Osprey 55. The first pair was ordered in 20 February 1990,...
designed by the Hellenic Navy. Modular concept so that
weapons and sensors can be changed as required.
|-
| Asheville
Asheville class gunboat
The Asheville class gunboats were a class of small military ships built for the United States Navy in response to the Cuban Missile Crisis. The class is named for a city in western North Carolina and the seat of Buncombe County...
||
|| HS TolmiHS Hormi || P 229
P 230 || Κ/Φ Τόλμη
Κ/Φ Ορμή || 2 || HS "Tolmi" is ex USN .
HS "Hormi" is ex USN .
|-
! colspan="7" style="background:lightsteelblue;" |Fast Attack Missile
Missile boat
A Missile Boat is a small craft armed with anti-ship missiles. Being a small craft, missile boats are popular with nations interested in forming an inexpensive navy...
|-
| Roussen
Roussen Class FACM
The Roussen class is a 7-strong class of British-designed Fast Attack Craft for the Hellenic Navy. The class is named after its lead ship, which in turn is named after Lt Nikolaos Roussen, a World War II submarines officer who was killed in the suppression of the Navy mutiny in April...
(Type: Super-Vita) || || HS Roussen
HS Daniolos
HS Krystallidis
HS Grigoropoulos
HS Ritsos
HS Karathanasis
HS Vlahakos || P 67
P 68
P 69
P 70
P 71
P 72
P 73 || ΤΠΚ Ρουσσέν
ΤΠΚ Δανιόλος
ΤΠΚ Κρυσταλλίδης
ΤΠΚ Γρηγορόπουλος
ΤΠΚ Ρίτσος
ΤΠΚ Καραθανάσης
ΤΠΚ Βλαχάκος || 5 || Two more under construction, being the option of the initial order, ordered in September 2008. An additional 2 more Super Vita ordered will be built and fitted with MM40 Exocets
Exocet
The Exocet is a French-built anti-ship missile whose various versions can be launched from surface vessels, submarines, helicopters and fixed wing aircraft. Hundreds were fired in combat during the 1980s.-Etymology:...
(Block III).
|-
| La Combattante III
FACM Class La Combattante III
Fast Attack Craft Missile Class La Combattante III refers to four ships ordered by Greece in September 1974 from France. There are similar to the Fast Attack Craft Missile Class La Combattante IIa, but are bigger and armed with torpedoes...
|| || HS Laskos
HS Blessas
HS Mykonios
HS Troupakis || P 20
P 21
P 22
P 23 || ΤΠΚ Λάσκος
ΤΠΚ Μπλέσσας
ΤΠΚ Μυκόνιος
ΤΠΚ Τρουπάκης || 4 || Upgraded (2006). Fitted with MM38 Exocets
Exocet
The Exocet is a French-built anti-ship missile whose various versions can be launched from surface vessels, submarines, helicopters and fixed wing aircraft. Hundreds were fired in combat during the 1980s.-Etymology:...
.
|-
| La Combattante IIIb
FACM Class La Combattante IIIb
Similar but newer craft design than FACM Class La Combattante III, with main difference that they use Kongsberg Penguin Mk 2 Mod 3 missiles. Six ships were built in Greek Shipyards but Kostakos sunk after collision with a ferry in November 1996....
|| || HS Kavaloudis
HS Degiannis
HS Xenos
HS Simitzopoulos
HS Starakis || P 24
P 26
P 27
P 28
P 29 || ΤΠΚ Καβαλούδης
ΤΠΚ Ντεγιάννης
ΤΠΚ Ξένος
ΤΠΚ Σιμιτζόπουλος
ΤΠΚ Σταράκης || 5 || Upgraded (2006-2011). Fitted with P24-P29 Penguins (Mk2/Mod3).
|-
| La Combattante IIa
FACM Class La Combattante IIa
Fast Attack Craft Missile Class La Combattante IIa were originally built for the German Navy as Type 148 Tiger class fast attack craft. They were later transferred to Hellenic Navy and the class was renamed Combattante IIa, as with similar French made ships. All the ships were under mid-life...
|| || HS Votsis
HS Pezopoulos
HS Maridakis || P 72
P 73
P 75 || ΤΠΚ Βότσης
ΤΠΚ Πεζόπουλος
ΤΠΚ Μαριδάκης || 3 || Fitted with RGM-84 Harpoons.
|-
! colspan="7" style="background:lightsteelblue;" |Submarines
|-
| Glafkos (Type: 209 (1100)
Type 209 submarine
The Type 209 is a class of diesel-electric attack submarine developed exclusively for export in the late 1960s by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft of Germany...
) || || HS Nireus
HS Triton
HS Proteus || S 111
S 112
S 113 || Υ/Β Νηρεύς
Υ/Β Τρίτων
Υ/Β Πρωτεύς || 3 || Program "Neptune I" upgrades.
|-
| Poseidon (Type: 209 (1200)
Type 209 submarine
The Type 209 is a class of diesel-electric attack submarine developed exclusively for export in the late 1960s by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft of Germany...
) || || HS Poseidon
HS Amphitriti
HS Okeanos
HS Pontos || S 116
S 117
S 118
S 119 || Υ/Β Ποσειδών
Υ/Β Αμφιτρίτη
Υ/Β Ωκεανός
Υ/Β Πόντος || 4 || Program "Neptune II" upgrades (Program canceled after the modernization of the first boat Okeanos).
|-
| Papanikolis (Type: 214
Type 214 submarine
The Type 214 is a diesel-electric submarine developed by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft GmbH . It features diesel propulsion with an air-independent propulsion system using Siemens polymer electrolyte membrane hydrogen fuel cells...
) || || HS Papanikolis
HS Pipinos
HS Matrozos
HS Katsonis
** HS ???
** HS ???
(**Under Construction) || S 120
S 121
S 122
S 123
S 124
S 125 || Υ/Β Παπανικολής
Υ/Β Πιπίνος
Υ/Β Ματρώζος
Υ/Β Κατσώνης
Υ/Β ???
Υ/Β ??? || 1 || The remaining 3 submarines are under sea trials in Skaramagas and 2 more will be built in Greece to replace the Neptune II modernization program.
|-
! colspan="7" style="background:lightsteelblue;" |Mine-Sweepers
Minesweeper (ship)
A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...
|-
| Type: Coastal || || HS Alkyon
HS Avra
HS Aidon
HS Kichli
HS Pleias || M 211
M 214
M 240
M 241
M 248 || Ν/Α Αλκυών
Ν/Α Αύρα
Ν/Α Αηδών
Ν/Α Κίχλη
Ν/Α Πλειάς || 5 ||
|-
| Hunt
Hunt class MCMV
The Hunt class is a class of thirteen mine countermeasure vessels of the Royal Navy. They combine the separate role of the traditional minesweeper and that of the active minehunter in one hull...
Osprey
Osprey class coastal minehunter
Osprey-class coastal minehunters are designed to find, classify, and destroy moored and bottom naval mines from vital waterways. They use sonar and video systems, cable cutters and a mine detonating device that can be released and detonated by remote control...
|| || HS Evropi
HS Kallisto
HS Evniki
HS Kalypso || M 62
M 63
M 61
M 64 || Ν/ΘΗ Ευρώπη
Ν/ΘΗ Καλλιστώ
Ν/Α Ευνίκη
Ν/Α Καλυψώ || 4 || HS "Europa" is ex RN HMS Bicester
HMS Bicester (M36)
HMS Bicester was a Hunt-class mine countermeasure vessel of the British Royal Navy. She was sold to the Greek Navy in 2001 as Europa....
, M-36.
HS "Kalypso" is ex RN HMS Berkeley
HMS Berkeley (M40)
HMS Berkeley was a Hunt-class mine countermeasure vessel of the British Royal Navy. She was sold to the Greek Navy in 2001 as Kallisto....
, M-40.
----HS "Evniki" is ex USN USS Pelican
USS Pelican (MHC-53)
USS Pelican was the third and the third ship in the Navy to bear the name of the bird. From 1 January 1997 on, the Pelican was part of the Naval Reserve Force. In that role the ship was used as training platform for naval reservists. Both decommissioned and stricken from the Navy List on 16 March...
, MHC-53.
HS "Kalypso" is ex USN USS Heron
USS Heron (MHC-52)
The USS Heron is the second ship of .Heron was transferred to the Hellenic Navy under a foreign military sales agreement on 16 March 2007. Heron will be renamed Kalipso.-References:...
, MHC-52.
Two more Hunters Class Osprey
Osprey class coastal minehunter
Osprey-class coastal minehunters are designed to find, classify, and destroy moored and bottom naval mines from vital waterways. They use sonar and video systems, cable cutters and a mine detonating device that can be released and detonated by remote control...
are expected to be commissioned in the HN
in the near future, the USS Osprey (MHC-51) and USS Robin (MHC-54). See S. 3052: Naval Vessel Transfer Act of 2008 for details. The Congress of the USA approved the transfer on September 10, 2008.
|-
! colspan="7" style="background:lightsteelblue;" |Torpedo Retrievers
|-
| Class: 430/430A || || HS Arachthos
HS Evrotas
HS Nestos || A 461
A 460
A 463 || ΠΑΤ Αραχθός
ΠΑΤ Ευρώτας
ΠΑΤ Νέστος || 3 ||
|-
! colspan="7" style="background:lightsteelblue;" |Landing crafts
|-
| Jason LST ||
|| HS ChiosHS Samos
HS Ikaria
HS Lesvos
HS Rodos || L 173
L 174
L 175
L 176
L 177 || Α/Γ Χίος
Α/Γ Σάμος
Α/Γ Ικαρία
Α/Γ Λέσβος
Α/Γ Ρόδος || 5 || Military lift of 300 troops plus vehicles; 4 LCVPs.
|-
| LCU (Type: 520)
Barbe class utility landing craft
The Type 520 Barbe class utility landing craft are small units of the German Navy used for landing or transporting troops, supply, equipment and also for coastal mine laying....
|| || HS Ios
HS Paros
HS Sikinos
HS Irakleia
HS Pholegandros || L 167
L 179
L 168
L 169
L 170 || Α/Β 'Ιος
Α/Β Πάρος
Α/Β Σίκινος
Α/Β Ηρακλειά
Α/Β Φολέγανδρος || 5 ||
|-
| Zubr
Zubr class LCAC
The Zubr class is a class of air-cushioned landing craft of soviet design. This class of military hovercraft is currently, as of 2008, the world’s largest hovercraft. There are currently nine ships in active service in the world. The Zubr is used by the Russian, Ukrainian, and Greek navies...
|| || HS Kephallenia
HS Ithaki
HS Kerkyra
HS Zakynthos || L 180
L 181
L 182
L 183 || ΠΤΜ Κεφαλληνία
ΠΤΜ Ιθάκη
ΠΤΜ Κέρκυρα
ΠΤΜ Ζάκυνθος || 4 || Military lift of total 130 tons of cargo (battle tanks, personnel carriers,
troops or combinations of those).
|-
! colspan="7" style="background:lightsteelblue;" |Patrol boats
|-
| Tjeld
Tjeld class patrol boat
The Tjeld class were a class of fast patrol boats designed in Norway. They were used as torpedo boats in Norway where this type of vessel were called MTBs or motor torpedo boats . The class was also known as the Nasty class....
(Type: Nasty)
(Type: Esterel) ||
|| HS AndromedaHS Kyknos
HS Pegasus
HS Toxotis
HS Diopos Antoniou
HS Kelevstis Stamou || P 196
P 198
P 199
P 228
Ρ 286
Ρ 287 || ΠΠ Ανδρομέδα
ΠΠ Κύκνος
ΠΠ Πήγασος
ΠΠ Τοξότης
ΠΠ Κ/Β Δίοπος Αντωνίου
ΠΠ Κ/Β Κελευστής Στάμου || 6 || Formerly called: torpedo boats.
|-
! colspan="7" style="background:lightsteelblue;" |Transport
|-
| Personnel Transport ||
|| HS PandoraHS Pandrosos
HS Naxos
HS Serifos || A 419
A 420
L 178
L 195 || ΠΜΠ Πανδώρα
ΠΜΠ Πάνδροσος
ΠΜΠ Νάξος
ΠΜΠ Σέριφος || 4 || PTV "Naxos" and PTV "Serifos" are converted LCUs.
|-
! colspan="7" style="background:lightsteelblue;" |Tankers
|-
| Oil Tankers || || HS Zeus
HS Ouranos
HS Hyperion
HS Orion || A 375
A 416
A 417
A 376 || Π/Φ Ζεύς
Π/Φ Ουρανός
Π/Φ Υπερίων
Π/Φ Ωρίων || 4 ||
|-
| Water Tankers || || HS Kalliroe
HS Trichonis
HS Doirani
HS Kerkini
HS Prespa
HS Stymphalia || A 468
A 466
A 476
A 433
A 434
A 469 || Υ/Φ Καλλιρόη
Υ/Φ Τριχωνίς
Υ/Φ Δοϊράνη
Υ/Φ Κερκίνη
Υ/Φ Πρέσπα
Υ/Φ Στυμφαλία || 6 ||
|-
! colspan="7" style="background:lightsteelblue;" |Other
|-
| Oceanographic & Scientific Research
Oceanography
Oceanography , also called oceanology or marine science, is the branch of Earth science that studies the ocean...
||
|| HS NaftilosHS Pytheas
HS Strabon
HS Akatos 14 || A 478
A 474
A 476
AΚ 14 || Υ/Γ-Ω/Κ Ναυτίλος
Υ/Γ-Ω/Κ Πυθέας
Υ/Γ-Ω/Κ Στράβων
Υ/Γ-Ω/Κ Άκατος 14 || 4 ||
|-
| Auxiliary Vessels
Auxiliary ship
An auxiliary ship is a naval ship which is designed to operate in any number of roles supporting combatant ships and other naval operations. Auxiliaries are not primary combatants, although they may have some limited combat capacity, usually of a self defensive nature.Auxiliaries are extremely...
Class: Etna (AOR)
Class: Thetis (AN 103) Net/Buoy Tender|| || HS Promitheus
HS Thetis|| A 374
A 307 || ΠΓΥ Προμηθεύς
ΦΘ Θέτις || 1
1 ||
|-
| Lighthouse Tenders ||
|| HS KaravogiannosHS Lykoudis || A 479
A 481 || ΠΦΑ Καραβόγιαννος
ΠΦΑ Λυκούδης || 2 ||
|-
| Replenishment Ships
Class: 701C (Type: Luneburg) ||
|| HS AxiosHS Aliakmon || A 464
A 470 || Π/Φ Αξιός
Π/Φ Αλιάκμων || 2 ||
|-
! colspan="7" style="background:lightsteelblue;" |Memorial Ships
|-
| Pisa-class Armored Cruiser
Pisa class armored cruiser
The Pisa class was a series of three armored cruisers built in Italy from 1905 - 1910.- Description :The ships were designed and built in Italy but were armed with British Elswick Ordnance Company guns.- History :...
||
|| HS Georgios Averof || - || Θ/Κ Γεώργιος Αβέρωφ || 1 || Museum shipMuseum ship
A museum ship, or sometimes memorial ship, is a ship that has been preserved and converted into a museum open to the public, for educational or memorial purposes...
. The ship is regarded as in active service, carrying the Rear Admiral's Rank Flag. It is the only Armored Cruiser
Armored cruiser
The armored cruiser was a type of warship of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Like other types of cruiser, the armored cruiser was a long-range, independent warship, capable of defeating any ship apart from a battleship, and fast enough to outrun any battleships it encountered.The first...
worldwide still in existence.
|-
| Trireme
Trireme
A trireme was a type of galley, a Hellenistic-era warship that was used by the ancient maritime civilizations of the Mediterranean, especially the Phoenicians, ancient Greeks and Romans.The trireme derives its name from its three rows of oars on each side, manned with one man per oar...
||
|| HS OlympiasOlympias (trireme)
Olympias is a reconstruction of an ancient Athenian trireme and an important example of experimental archaeology.She was constructed from 1985 to 1987 by a shipbuilder in Piraeus. Finance came from the Hellenic Navy and donors such as Frank Welsh . The building was advised by the historians J. S....
|| - || Τριήρης Ολυμπιάς || 1 || Olympias is a reconstruction of an ancient Athenian trireme. She is hand-built and considered in active service.
|-
! colspan="7" style="background:lightsteelblue;" |Tugboats
|-
| Tugboat || || HS Aias
HS Gigas
HS Danaos
HS Iason
HS Minos
HS Nestor
HS Pelias
HS Persefs
HS Adamastos
HS Atrefs
HS Atromitos
HS Achillefs
HS Diomidis
HS Odyssefs
HS Romaleos
HS Thisefs || A 412
A 432
A 427
A 424
A 436
A 421
A 437
A 429
A 411
A 439
A 410
A 409
A 440
A 425
A 442
A 441 || Ρ/Κ Αίας
Ρ/Κ Γίγας
Ρ/Κ Δαναός
Ρ/Κ Ιάσων
Ρ/Κ Μίνως
Ρ/Κ Νέστωρ
Ρ/Κ Πελίας
Ρ/Κ Περσεύς
Ρ/Κ Αδάμαστος
Ρ/Κ Ατρεύς
Ρ/Κ Ατρόμητος
Ρ/Κ Αχιλλεύς
Ρ/Κ Διομήδης
Ρ/Κ Οδυσσεύς
Ρ/Κ Ρωμαλέος
Ρ/Κ Θησεύς || 16 || The Navy operates a mixed fleet of tugboats based at the two major naval docks of Salamis and Souda Bay. The list includes both open sea and harbour tugboats.
Aircraft Fleet
! style="text-align:left; background:#eec;"|Aircraft! style="text-align:left; background:#eec;"|Origin
! style="text-align:left; background:#eec;"|Type
! style="text-align:left; background:#eec;"|Versions
! style="text-align:left; background:#eec;"|In Service
! style="text-align:left; background:#eec;"|Total Numbers
! style="text-align:left; background:#eec;"|Notes
! style="text-align:left; background:#eec;"|Photo
|-
| Sikorsky S-70 Aegean Hawk
SH-60 Seahawk
The Sikorsky SH-60/MH-60 Seahawk is a twin turboshaft engine, multi-mission United States Navy helicopter based on the United States Army UH-60 Black Hawk and a member of the Sikorsky S-70 family. The most significant airframe modification is a hinged tail to reduce its footprint aboard ships.The...
|| ||Anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....
|| S-70B-6
S-70B || 8
3 || 11 || ||
|-
| Agusta-Bell AB-212
UH-1N Twin Huey
The Bell UH-1N Twin Huey is a medium military helicopter that first flew in April, 1969. The UH-1N has a fifteen seat configuration, with one pilot and fourteen passengers. In cargo configuration the UH-1N has an internal capacity of 220 ft³ . An external load of 5,000 lb can be carried...
|| || Anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....
Naval ESM || AB-212 ASW
AB-212 EW || 8
2 || 10 || Upgraded naval version of the UH-1N Twin Huey
UH-1N Twin Huey
The Bell UH-1N Twin Huey is a medium military helicopter that first flew in April, 1969. The UH-1N has a fifteen seat configuration, with one pilot and fourteen passengers. In cargo configuration the UH-1N has an internal capacity of 220 ft³ . An external load of 5,000 lb can be carried...
. The 2 AB-212EW are in storage. ||
|-
| Aérospatiale Alouette III
Aérospatiale Alouette III
The Aérospatiale Alouette III is a single-engine, light utility helicopter developed by Sud Aviation. It was manufactured by Aérospatiale of France, and under licence by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited in India as Hal Chetak and Industria Aeronautică Română in Romania.The Alouette III is the...
|| || Trainer
Trainer (aircraft)
A trainer is a class of aircraft designed specifically to facilitate in-flight training of pilots and aircrews. The use of a dedicated trainer aircraft with additional safety features—such as tandem flight controls, forgiving flight characteristics and a simplified cockpit arrangement—allows...
|| SA-319B || 2 || 2 || ||
Type La Combattante IIA fast attack missile boats
- HS Vlahavas (P74): Decommissioned on 2011-06-10
- HS Tournas (P76): Decommissioned on 2011-06-10
- HS Sakipis (P77): Decommissioned on 2011-06-10
Gunboats
- HS Niki (P-62) (ex German Thetis P 6052), Thetis classThetis class gunboatThe Thetis-class gunboats, was a class of five naval ships of the Hellenic Navy, originally developed for the German Navy as Class 420 and first commissioned in 1961. Similar in size to corvettes, all five vessels were built by Rolandwerft, Bremen...
, decommissioned on 2 April 2009. - HS Doxa (P-63) (ex German Najade P 6054), Thetis classThetis class gunboatThe Thetis-class gunboats, was a class of five naval ships of the Hellenic Navy, originally developed for the German Navy as Class 420 and first commissioned in 1961. Similar in size to corvettes, all five vessels were built by Rolandwerft, Bremen...
, decommissioned on 22 April 2010. - HS Eleftheria (P-64) (ex German Triton P 6055), Thetis classThetis class gunboatThe Thetis-class gunboats, was a class of five naval ships of the Hellenic Navy, originally developed for the German Navy as Class 420 and first commissioned in 1961. Similar in size to corvettes, all five vessels were built by Rolandwerft, Bremen...
, decommissioned on 22 April 2010.
Tugs
- HS Iraklis (A-423), decommissioned on 30 November 2009
- HS Aegefs (A-438), decommissioned on 30 November 2009
- HS Pilefs(A-413), decommissioned on 30 November 2009
Further reading
- Official Website of the Hellenic Navy. Note regarding copyright: The Hellenic Navy allows free use and distribution of images from their web site with proper attribution, however they have no set copyright policy for derivative work. See also appropriate template from Greek Wikipedia: :el:Template:ΠΔΕΠΝ.: Excellent resource with details for ships of the Hellenic Navy. Caution: List not updated since 2002.
- Royal Hellenic or Greek Navy in World War I, including warship losses