Greece join European air transport training programme and C-27J grouping
Greece has joined C-27J Spartan Cooperation programme which also includes the Italian Air Force. (Photo: Leonardo)
Greece ordered 12 C-27J transport aircraft from Lockheed Martin in 2002 with an option for a further three. So far, eight have been delivered under the contract and the country has now joined a European grouping to support users.
Greece has become the sixth member of the European Defence Agency’s (EDA’s) C-27J Spartan Cooperation programme and the 19th member of the EDA’s Multilateral Air Transport Training and Exercises Initiative.
Greece has joined the Technical Arrangement (TA) regarding Multilateral Air Transport Training and Exercises, an initiative launched in May 2018 which aims to streamline and enhance training and exercise opportunities among EDA member states. It also attempts to prevent cumbersome processes involved in drafting individual agreements for each training and exercise event.
Greece has joined Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Germany, Spain, Finland, France, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia in the training programme.
The upcoming European Spartan Exercise 2024, which will mark the first participation of a Hellenic Air Force aircraft, will take place in Romania from 30 September to 11 October 2024. Previous exercises were held in Romania in 2023 and Bulgaria in 2022.
The C-27J programme has focused on areas such as equipment improvement, training, operational harmonisation and increased fleet availability through optimised logistics solutions.
It has brought together Bulgaria, Italy, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and now Greece, and has been encouraging the exchange of data and collaboration among European operators to achieve common objectives while avoiding duplication of efforts.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Training
-
![British Army Strategic Training Partner bidders drop from seven to four]()
British Army Strategic Training Partner bidders drop from seven to four
Three of the bidding consortia have dropped out of the competition to become STP for the British Army Collective Training Service.
-
![What is preventing the US Pentagon from succeeding in multi-domain scenarios?]()
What is preventing the US Pentagon from succeeding in multi-domain scenarios?
Outstanding issues to be addressed include improving doctrine, increasing the number of joint exercises and better integrating capabilities across the services.
-
![AI innovation set to revolutionise military training landscape]()
AI innovation set to revolutionise military training landscape
Artificial intelligence offers unprecedented potential to revolutionise military training, enabling agile and decisive forces.
-
![Training Together: Unlocking Educational Excellence through Military and Industry Collaboration (Studio)]()
Training Together: Unlocking Educational Excellence through Military and Industry Collaboration (Studio)
Military training is ultimately about people. At Capita, training programmes are built on close engagement with partners, delivering an educational approach that can adapt to individual needs, cultivate leadership – and drive wider cultural change.
-
![Three A-29 Super Tucanos find new home at US Air Force Test Pilot School]()
Three A-29 Super Tucanos find new home at US Air Force Test Pilot School
Embraer’s light attack aircraft were selected by Edwards Air Force Base to join its test pilot school, following their abandonment by US Air Force Special Operations Command.
-
![Enhancing Military Training Through Digital Technology (Studio)]()
Enhancing Military Training Through Digital Technology (Studio)
Digital technologies offer huge opportunities for defence training. However, militaries must adopt an agile approach, placing the needs of their organisations and personnel at the centre of their efforts.
