List of equipment of the Hellenic Army

The heavy equipment and weaponry of the Hellenic Army is of mostly foreign manufacture, from German, French, American, British suppliers. A notable exception is the Leonidas armored fighting vehicle which is built in Greece by the Hellenic Vehicle Industry.

Equipment runs the gamut from state-of-the-art to obsolescent Cold War inventories; the latter are gradually being retired as no funds are available for upgrade. Russian made equipment was received or purchased after the collapse of the Warsaw Pact and second hand US and German equipment was transferred or purchased.

Recent Defense spending cuts have had a big impact in operating costs (maintenance, technical support, operational training, transport and supplies). As 80% of the budget is spent on salaries and administrative costs the Greek Army faces the challenge of reorganizing its structure. This may lead to closing down some of the 500 military bases scattered across the country and reducing the size of the Army, transforming the Greek army into a smaller but largely professional force.

Under the Force Structure 2005-2020 plan large-scale changes in the Army will be implemented. Only two categories of units will exist: active and mobilized (reserve). No main weapon systems will be allocated to mobilized units.

Small Arms and Infantry Support Weapons

Firearms

Weapon	Caliber	Origin	Notes
Pistols and Submachine Guns
Colt M1911A1	.45 ACP	United States	Service Pistol.
HK P7	9mm Luger	Germany/ Greece	Made under license by EAS [1]
Glock 17	9×19mm NATO	Austria	Used by special forces and marines
HK MP5	9×19mm NATO	Germany/ Greece	Made under license by EAS
Assault Rifles, Battle Rifles and Carbines
HK G3A3/G3A4	7.62×51mm NATO	Germany/ Greece	Service Rifle. Made under license by Ellinika Amyntika Systimata (EAS) (English—"Hellenic Defense Systems"),[2] formerly under EBO ("Hellenic Arms Industry").[3]
M16A2 assault rifle	5.56×45mm NATO	United States	Used by special forces / Navy / ISAF Forces in Afghanistan.
M4 carbine	5.56×45mm NATO	United States	Used by special forces / Navy
FN FAL PARA	7.62×51mm NATO	Belgium	Used by reserved forces
M14	7.62×51mm NATO	United States	Used by Hellenic Navy
Sniper Rifles
Kefefs	7.62×51mm NATO	Greece	Used by special forces, produced locally
Barrett M82A1M	12.7×99mm NATO	United States	Used by special forces and marines
Barrett M95	12.7×99mm NATO	United States	Used by special forces
Machine Guns
HK 11A1	7.62×51mm NATO	Germany/ Greece	Magazine-fed light machine gun. Made under license by EAS
FN MINIMI	5.56×45mm NATO	Belgium/ Greece	Light machine gun, replacing HK11. Made under license by EAS
FN MAG	7.62×51mm NATO	Belgium	General-purpose machine gun
MG3	7.62×51mm NATO	Germany/ Greece	General-purpose machine gun. Made under license by EAS
M60	7.62×51mm NATO	United States	General-purpose machine gun
M2HB	12.7×99mm NATO	United States	Heavy machine gun
Grenade Launchers
M203	40×46mm	United States	Designed to be attached to a rifle
M79	40×46mm	United States	Single-shot, shoulder-fired, break-action grenade launcher
HK GMG	40×53mm	Germany/ Greece	Automatic grenade launcher. Made under license by EAS
MK19 Mod3	40×53mm	United States	Automatic grenade launcher in use by Special Forces

• Greece signed a contract with Heckler and Koch, for 112,270 5.56 mm G36 assault rifles. They would replace the G3 as the Army's service rifle. The rifles would be assembled locally by Hellenic Defence Systems (EAS). However the purchase has been frozen and the soldiers continue to use the current G3 rifle.

Infantry Support Weapons

Quantity	Weapon	Origin	Notes
Anti-tank Guided Missile Launchers
196	9M133 Kornet E	Russia	ATGM
366 all incorporated into M-901 ITV's	BGM-71 TOW II	United States	ATGM
400	MILAN	France/ West Germany	ATGM, most MILAN I systems have been upgraded to MILAN II
262	9M111 Fagot	Soviet Union	ATGM
Anti-tank Recoilless Rifles
1,988	Carl Gustaf M2 Recoilless Rifle	Sweden	84 mm
1,291	M40 recoilless rifle	United States	106 mm / mounted on Jeeps
135	LRAC 89 mm STRIM	France	89 mm
Anti-tank Rocket launchers
18,706	RPG-18	Soviet Union	64 mm
10,841	M72A2 LAW	United States	66 mm
Heavy Mortars - 100 mm and above (CFE treaty caliber limit)
120	E56-E 120 mm Mortar	Greece	120 mm Made by the Greek weapons manufacturer Ellinika Amyntika Systimata
624	M30	United States	107 mm 256 in use on the M106A1/A2 AMC
Medium and Light Mortars - below 100 mm (CFE treaty caliber limit)
690	E44-E 81 mm Mortar	Greece	81 mm Made by the Greek weapons manufacturer Ellinika Amyntika Systimata
125	Hirtenberger M6C-210	Austria/ Greece	60 mm Produced by the Greek weapons manufacturer Ellinika Amyntika Systimata under license from Hirtenberger of Austria.
1,616	M1	United States	81 mm In storage

• The Kornet anti-tank guided weapon system is fitted to 4x4 vehicles. Greece has 196 launchers with 1100+ missiles, in service as of 2008.
• 36 M270 MLRS transferred from United States of America to Greece between 1995 and 2001.
• Greece operates over 3000 M113s and variants, many of these have been transferred from other NATO armies through CFE.
• Netherlands donated almost 170 M-30 107mm mortar due to CFE restrictions.
• 19,793 RPG-18[64-mm] bought from Germany in 1993

Land Vehicles and Heavy Armament

Main Battle Tanks

Quantity	Type	Origin	Notes
CFE treaty limit: 1,735
170	Leopard 2A6 HEL	Germany/ Greece	120 mm gun. Delivered between 2006 and 2009. Built in Greece by ELBO under license of Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW).[4]
183	Leopard 2A4	Germany	120 mm gun
501	Leopard 1A5/GR	Germany	105 mm gun
390	M48A5 MOLF (Modular Laser Fire Control System)	United States	105 mm gun
101	M60A3 TTS	United States	105 mm gun. Many in reserve or in storage.

• In 1981 Greece ordered 106 Leopard 1A3 GR MBTs plus 4 armoured recovery vehicles, delivered between 1983 and 1984. Almost 170 Leopard 1Vs were donated by the Netherlands in 1991.
• In 2003 the Greek army ordered 170 new Leopard 2A6 HEL (Hellenic), to be jointly produced by the German Krauss Maffei and the Greek ELVO firms and delivered between 2006 and 2009.
• In 2005 Greece purchased 333 used tanks: 183 Leopard 2A4s and 150 Leopard 1A5 main battle tanks from Bundeswehr reserves. This raised the number of Leopard 1 tanks in Greek service to almost 350, and added Leopard 2A4 tanks to Greece’s inventory. A few Leopard 2A4 tanks have been equipped with a 105 mm cannon for training purposes (to exploit the existing large stock of 105mm ammunition), though quick restoration of the original L44 120 mm cannon is possible. Another 98 Leopard 1A5 tanks were delivered as an offset of the total Leopard 2 HEL procurement package.

• At least 312 M-60A3 were in active service in 2009. M-60 tanks are supposed to be scrapped, sold or retired, as Leopard tanks are replacing them and CFE limit restricts the total number of tanks in service. United States transferred to Greece in 1992-93 358 M60A1 and 312 M60A3 tanks. At least 350 M60 tanks of the Greek Army could be donated to Iraq.
• As of 2004, Greek Army tank drivers are mostly professionals, but conscripts are still trained as tank drivers, as well as in all other tank crew stations.

Armored Combat Vehicles/Carriers and Unarmored Vehicles

Quantity	Weapon	Origin	Notes
CFE treaty limit: 2,498 [5]
Armored Infantry Fighting Vehicles (AIFVs)
40	BMP-1P Ost	Soviet Union	Bought from Germany, converted to ZU-23 carriers
491	Leonidas II	Greece \  Austria	Made by the Greek vehicle manufacturer ELBO including 90 upgraded Leonidas 1
1,985	M 113A1/A2	United States	Armored Personnel Carrier
3	M125A1 AMC	United States	Armored mortar carrier, based on M113. Equipped with the M29 (81 mm) mortar.
Armored Mortar Carriers - 100 mm and above (CFE treaty caliber limit)
257	M106A1/A2 AMC	United States	Armored mortar carrier, based on M113. Most vehicles are equipped with the M30 (107 mm) mortar but 120 will be equipped with the E-56 (120 mm) mortar.
Armored ATGM Carriers
362	M901/M901A1 ITV	United States	Armored BGM-71 TOW carrier, based on M113
12	M113 TOW	United States	M113 vehicle mounting a BGM-71 TOW launcher.
Armored Command Vehicles
249	M577A2	United States	Armored command vehicle, based on M113
Armored Wheeled Vehicles
242	VBL	France	Various Versions
695	HMMWV	United States/ Greece	Various Versions - Some ex-US Army surplus. Others are new M1114GR made by ELBO under license.
Unarmored Wheeled Vehicle
8,300	Mercedes-Benz G-Class	Germany/ Greece	Made under License by ELBO -Various Versions
148	KrAZ-255B	Ukraine	Using as a transport vehicle and also can carry a PMP folding bridge
160	Oshkosh	United States	8x8 Truck
150	M35 2½ ton cargo truck	United States	A2
120	MAN	Germany	6x6, 8x8 Truck
850	Steyr	Austria/ Greece	Trucks made under License by ELBO (Type: Steyr 12M18)
110	Unimog	Germany	Various Versions
?	Tatra	Czech Republic

• The first version of the 'Leonidas' was the Austrian Saurer 4K 4FA Armored Personnel Carrier built with minor local modifications, built from 1981 until 1987. The 'Leonidas-2' involved extensive modification of the previous model, with the aim to essentially develop it as an Armored Infantry Fighting Vehicle (AIFV). 503 Leonidas vehicles of both versions delivered to Greece and 197 to Cyprus.
• All M-113 vehicles in the Hellenic Army have been upgraded to or acquired with at least the A1 modifications.
• Germany sold 501 BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles, formerly operated by East Germany.They have been retired due to lack of spare parts
• Greece had the intention to donate some of its 500 BMP-1 to the Iraqi Army. 36 refurbished BMP-1 were delivered in November 2005 and 64 BMP-1s in December 2006.
• The Panhard VBL was acquired after the need for armored reconnaissance vehicles was identified by the Army's involvement in peacekeeping operations.

Artillery

CFE treaty limit: 1,920 (calibers > 100 mm) [6]
Quantity	Weapon	Origin	Notes
Rocket Artillery
36	M270 MLRS	United States	12x227 mm 152x MGM-140A ATACMS Block 1 are also available.
116	RM70	Czechoslovakia	40x122 mm
Self-propelled Artillery
104	M110A2	United States	203 mm L40 to be phased out upon completion of the other programs
24+1	PzH 2000	Germany	155 mm L52.
12	M109A5	United States	155 mm L39
223	M109A3GEA2	United States	155 mm L39. 223 M109GEA2 with all the modernized systems including the AURORA system. Note that the AURORA PROGRAM includes many improvements over the M109A3/M109A5/A6 Paladin. It can also be linked to all the other artillery systems including the PzH-2000GR or act autonomously.
50	M109A3GEA1	United States	155 mm L39
82	M109A2	United States	155 mm L39
51	M109A1B	United States	155 mm L39
Towed Artillery
445 in storage	M101	United States	105 mm L22
18	Mod-56 pack howitzer	Italy	105 mm L14
Counter-battery Radar / Observation
3	ARTHUR (military)	Norway/ Sweden	Radar-system
10	AN/TPQ-36	United States	Radar-system
8	AN/TPQ-37	United States	Radar-system
10	Stendor		Radar-system
?	Decca D-110		Radar-system
40	BOR A-550		Radar-system
20	MARGOT XXL		Camera-Observation-system

• 150 Second-hand Slovak-made RM-70 Grad multiple rocket launchers purchased in Germany in 1993, after the end of Cold War. 116 have been used in active service since then, the rest used for spares.
• In 2008 talks started with Germany for the transfer of 223 surplus German M109A3GE-A2 howitzers to Greece. The deal was signed on the 17th of February 2010. Once deliveries of the 223 howitzers is completed all towed artillery in the Greek Army will be withdrawn, with the exception of 18 M56 Pack guns.
• The Greek Army has 24 PzH 2000 155mm systems, delivered between July 2003 and June 2004.

Air Defense Systems

Quantity	Weapon	Notes
Air Defense - Missile Systems
42	MIM-23B Improved HAWK - Phase III PIP	7 batteries x 6 missile launchers each Medium range
21	TOR-M1
39	SA-8 Gecko
54	ASRAD-HELLAS	With 426 FIM-92 Stinger Block 1 missiles. VSHORADS
476	FIM-92B/C Stinger-POST & Stinger Block 1	MANPADS
36	Patriot PAC II/ PAC III	6 batteries, 198 missiles
8	S-300 PMU-1	2 batteries, 96 missiles
Air Defense - Gun Systems
506	ZU-23-2	2x 23x152 mm (B)
285	Mk20 RH-202	2x 20x139 mm
Air Defense - Radar
3	Casta 2E1	Surveillance radar
5	P-19 radar	Surveillance radar

• In 2000 the Hellenic Army decided to procure 54 vehicle-mounted ASRAD-HELLAS systems. A modular missile system featuring high firepower for day and night operation, each ASRAD-HELLAS weapon system carries four ready-to-fire Stinger missiles and holds an additional four missiles ready for a fast reload. The system is operated by a 2-man team, consisting of the driver, who has the secondary task of air space observer, and the operator of the weapon system.
• The 23 mm ZU-23 lightweight, automatic, towed antiaircraft gun entered the Army arsenal after years of service with the East German army.
• The Artemis 30 was originally developed in 1982, to protect all branches of the Armed Forces from medium and low level attack aircraft.
• With units entering service both from East German and Russian sources, the 9M33 Osa (SA-8) short-range surface-to-air missile system was acquired to maximize the protection offered to Army units. In the mid-1990s Germany sold 13 Osa surface-to-air missile. The Greek government requested its upgrade as the Osa-AKM. The Russians later sold another 16 Osa-AKMs. Greece was so pleased that also ordered 31 Russian-made Tor-M1 (SA-15) short-range surface-to-air missiles under 1999 and 2000 contracts.
• The S-300 PMU-1 were initially purchased by Cyprus in 1999, but were transferred to Crete (Greece) after the strong protest from Turkey. They remained there "under storage" until 2007 that were officially transferred to Greece and put into service. The first test shot was made in Dec. 2013.^[7]
• Hellenic Hawk Phase II Upgrade Program brought in 1995 Greek 42 Hawk launchers (7 batteries) to updated version. Ten launchers later updated to more updated version in 1999.

Other Armored Vehicles

Medical Evacuation Vehicles
54	M 113A1	MEDEVAC
70+	Humvee	Ambulance
?	Mercedes-Benz G-Class	Ambulance
Armored Vehicle-launched Bridges
8	Leopard-1 Leguan	Armored Vehicle-launched Bridge based on Leopard-1 chassis.
10	Leopard-1 Biber	Armored Vehicle-launched Bridge based on Leopard-1 chassis.
12	M60A1 AVLB	Armored Vehicle-launched Bridge based on M60A1 chassis.
22	M48A5 AVLB	Armored Vehicle-launched Bridge based on M48A5 chassis.
Armored Recovery Vehicles
12	Leopard II BUFALO HEL	Armored Recovery Vehicle based on Leopard-2 chassis.
43	Leopard-1 ARV	Armored Recovery Vehicle based on Leopard-1 chassis.
95	M88A1	Armored Recovery Vehicle of the Patton tanks family.
81	M578	Armored Recovery Vehicle The M578 utilized the same chassis as M107 self-propelled gun and M110 self-propelled howitzer.
Armored Demining Vehicles
50	Leopard-1V MP	Armored Demining Vehicle based on Leopard-1 chassis. Gun was removed (in order to comply with CFE treaty limits on number of MBTs) and a Full Width Mine Plough (FWMP) from Pearson Engineering was added.

Aircraft

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Versions	In service[8]	Notes
Boeing AH-64 Apache	United States	attack helicopter	AH-64A+ AH-64DHA	19 9	One AH-64DHA crashed at 20/9/16 during an exercise.
Boeing CH-47 Chinook	United States	transport helicopter	CH-47DG/SD	18+7(+5)	Ten (10) ex-US Army CH-47D on order to be delivered in 2016-2017, three (3) of them been delivered in November 2016;[9] option for five (5) more to a total of fifteen (15) Chinooks.
NHI NH90	Europe	transport helicopter	NH-90 TTH	11+9	Nine (9) remain on order; pending deliveries to be completed by the end of 2016 with the four (4) of them to be in SPEOPS configuration[10] for Special Forces usage.
Bell 205	United States  Italy	utility helicopter	UH-1H Iroquois AB 205	26 62	Ex US Army AB205 built by Agusta
Bell 206	Italy	utility helicopter	AB 206B-3	14	Built by Agusta
Bell 212	Italy	VIP	AB 212 VIP	1	Built by Agusta
Cessna 185	United States	utility	U-17A	13	To be decommissioned
C-12 Huron	United States	VIP/photo recon aircraft	C-12R	3
SAGEM Sperwer	France	reconnaissance UAV		16	Light drones
Schweizer 300	United States	training helicopter	300C	17

• The Army is looking to replace AB-205 and UH-1 helicopters in the immediate future.
• Greece bought ten CH-47Cs for the Army, nine of which were later upgraded by Boeing to the CH-47D standard. In 1999 Greece bought seven New Boeing CH-47D Chinooks. As of November 2008, Greece had 15 CH-47DG/SD Chinooks in use.
• In 1995 20 AH-64A+ were purchased. In 2003 Greece signed a contract for 12 AH-64D Longbow.

Historical equipment

References

1. "EBO 9 mm EP7 pistol (Greece), PISTOLS". Jane's Information Group. 2001-04-25. Retrieved 2009-05-22.
2. Hellenic Defense Systems
3. "Personal infantry weapons: old weapons or new hardware in the coming decades? - Free Online Library". Thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved 2013-08-23.
4. "Leopard 2 HEL images and info". Retrieved 2008-07-06.
5. According to the CFE treaty, the Armored Combat Vehicles category includes Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs), Armored Infantry Fighting Vehicles (AIFVs), and Heavy Armament Combat Vehicles. Heavy Armament Combat Vehicles includes vehicles that were not MBTs, APCs or AIFVs but have an integral gun of at least 75 millimeter (mm) caliber and weight at least 6 tons.
6. According to the CFE treaty, the Artillery category includes guns, howitzers, mortars, multiple launch rocket systems, and artillery pieces that combine the characteristics of guns and howitzers.
7. "Ρωσικοί πύραυλοι S-300 στον κρητικό ουρανό".
8. "World Military Aircraft Inventory", Aerospace Source Book 2007, Aviation Week & Space Technology, January 15, 2007.
9. "Ειδήσεις από τις Ένοπλες Δυνάμεις #95". Retrieved 17 January 2016.
10. "Η νέα Αεροπορία Στρατού". Retrieved 28 January 2016.