The Transatlantic Periscope is an interactive, multimedia tool that brings together expert commentary, high-quality media coverage, official policy documents, quantitative data, social media posts, and gray literature. It will provide on a monthly basis a summary of the most important news concerning the Greek-US relations. Below you will find an overview for April 2024.

The Greek House Arms Committee approved the procurement of 35 UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters on April 2. Subsequently, the Government Council for National Security (KYSEA) can authorize the General Directorate for Defense Investments and Armaments (GDDIA) to sign the US letter of acceptance (LOA) in order to start the implementation of the program. Moreover, on April 10, the US LOA regarding Greece’s request for the supply of F-35 fighter jets reached the National Defense Ministry —Greece sent an official request to the US for the purchase of 20 F-35s in June 2022. The arrival of the letter initiates a 60-day countdown for the signing of the corresponding contracts. The Hellenic Air Force is due to receive the first delivery of F-35s in 2028.

From April 15 to April 26, as part of the military cooperation between Greece and the USA, the bilateral exercise «STOLEN CERBERUS XI» took place under the coordination of the Special Warfare Command (SWC) of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff (HNDGS). The exercise was carried out in the wider area of Attica. During the training, air cooperation, supply airdrop on land and sea, medical evacuation (MEDEVAC), as well as static line and military free fall jumps were performed. The exercise will contribute to increasing the level of combat capability and interoperability between the participating forces of the two countries.

On April 23 the US State Department published its report on the state of human rights in Greece in 2023, where it mentioned inter alia that there were “no significant changes” in Greece over the past year. The report includes a list of issues pertaining to the treatment of migrants, police, and the use of spyware. The Greek Foreign Ministry commented that it records, “without further investigation, allegations made by nongovernmental organizations, none of which has been subjected to independent scrutiny.”

More at: https://transatlanticperiscope.org/relationship/GR#