The crewman steers a Mark V Special Operations Craft near Key West.
The US and Greek militaries have a good relationship.
The US transferred armored vehicles and watercraft to Greece at the end of the year.
Tension in the Eastern Mediterranean has led Greece to bolster its military.
The US and Greece signed a mutual defense and cooperation agreement in October.
The Greek military will be getting 1,200 surplus M1117 Guardian armored vehicles and four Mark V Special Operations Craft from the US.
The equipment is being provided to Greece at a very significant discount under the US's Excess Defense Articles program.
The country needs Congressional approval to receive EDA equipment. The US Ambassador to Greece said that the transfers reflect a commitment to continue to build on the strength of the relationship that has reached a high point but is not yet at its summit.
The Hellenic Guardians are a group of people.
The first of 1,200 M1117 Guardian armored vehicles was handed over to Greece by the US in December 2021. The person is Konstantinos Floros.
The Greek military will buy the M117 Guardians for $80,000 each, a discount of nearly 900% over their production price.
The Greeks will have to purchase and install machine guns and grenade launchers themselves in order for the Guardians to be provided.
Forty-four vehicles have been delivered to Greece. The rest will be delivered by April 2022. The M117 has a number of variations, but it is not known which Greece will receive.
Savvas Vlassis, a Greek defense journalist and publisher, said that the M117 Guardian was used in Afghanistan and Iraq, but its operational roles with Greece are likely to be limited.
The vehicles are expected to be used on patrol missions and on Greek islands.
A partnership that is special.
A Scan Eagle drone is launched from a Mark V boat.
The Mark V Special Operations Craft were used by the US Navy Seals from 1995 to 2013.
Greece has the largest coastline in the Mediterranean and over 2,000 islands and islets, meaning the boats will be particularly useful.
US Navy Seals and Green Berets from US Special Operations Command Europe conducted a drill with Hellenic Underwater Demolition Command operators in Attica, off the southeastern end of the Greek mainland, to show off the Mark V's capabilities.
The US and Greek special operators have an ambassador. The US Embassy in Greece has a person named Geoffrey Pyatt.
The US Navy has roughly the same number of DYK operators as the US Navy. The Greek selection process is based on the US Navy's BUD/S course, and the two units have similar attrition rates.
Pyatt said that he was impressed by the way the Hellenic Special Forces were working across a wide region.
In recent years, the cooperation between Greek and US special-operation units has increased. The Greek islands have unique exercise scenarios due to the Aegean topography.
The Mark vs M1117s are not Greece's biggest recent acquisitions.
Greek spending spree.
The first of 1,200 M1117 Guardian armored vehicles was handed over to Greece by the US in December. The person is Konstantinos Floros.
Greece has been one of the few NATO allies to spend more than 2% of its GDP on defense, due in part to its longstanding rivalry with Turkey.
Defense procurements stopped during the Greek debt crisis. The country has pursued a major rearmament program since 2019.
In an effort to increase its power-projection capabilities in the critical Eastern Mediterranean region, Greece agreed to buy three Belharra frigates from France with an option for one more and 18 Rafale combat jets with an option for six more. The city of Athens is planning to buy four cars. The cost of the ships and jets is $7.35 billion.
Greece is in the process ofUpgrading 83 of its F-16 fighter jets to Block 72 Viper, the latest configuration, but has also expressed strong interest in purchasing F-35s.
The Athens government has agreed to buy seven helicopters from the same company. The helicopter will cost $600 million and be used for anti-submarine warfare.
The Greek military's operational capabilities will be greatly increased by these purchases.
A valuable NATO ally.
A Greek navy ship is in the Mediterranean Sea.
The Hellenic Navy is the mainstay of the region's maritime character and it operates in the central and eastern Mediterranean with regional partners and allies.
The Hellenic Army is part of NATO. The defense of eastern Aegean islands, north, and northeastern Greece is the focus.
The Greeks have one of the largest tank forces in Europe. Most of them are German Leopards, but Greece also has upgraded US-made M48 Patton tanks.
A Greek F-16 is at the Athens Flying Week 2021.
The Hellenic Air Force has 231 fighters with a mix of F-16s and Mirage 2000s. Greek pilots are respected by NATO.
Greek forces are active overseas. Greek troops may soon head to the Sahel to support the French-led operation Barkhane, as a regiment is permanently stationed in Cyprus. A Greek missile battery is in Saudi Arabia.
Pyatt said this month that a Greece which is stronger and more secure makes our alliance stronger and more secure.
Business Insider has an original article.
