List of equipment of the Hellenic Army

Small Arms and Infantry Support Weapons

Firearms

• 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. However the purchase has been frozen and the soldiers continue to use the current G3 rifle.
• In 2018 a program to upgrade 50.000 G3 rifles begun. The upgrades include new hanguard with R.I.S., new stock and an Aimpoint Red Dot sign and an M203 40mm grenade launcher.
• The G3 and two versions of the G3A3 and G3A4 is the legendary rifle of the Greek Army. As reported, the procedures for its replacement with a newer and more modern weapon are in progress. The actions take place by the C branch of the General Staff. According to information, a committee has already been set up. The data is that the goal is the total renewal of the G3 of the EU with co-production in the Greek Defense Systems and Greece. Such an action will give a construction project to the Greek defense industry with the possibility of co-production. The cost, according to information, is estimated at around 400 million euros and will, of course, be shared over a period of at least a decade.

  Infantry Support Weapons

• The Kornet anti-tank guided weapon system is fitted to 4×4 vehicles. Greece has 196 launchers with 1100+ missiles, in service as of 2008.
• Netherlands donated almost 170 M-30 4.2 in mortars due to CFE restrictions.
• 19,793 RPG-18 bought from Germany in 1993

  Land vehicles and heavy armament

Main Battle Tanks

• In 1981, Greece ordered 106 Leopard 1A3 GR MBTs plus four armoured recovery vehicles, delivered between 1983 and 1984. Almost 170 Leopard 1Vs were donated by the Netherlands in 1991.
• In 2003, the Hellenic Army ordered 170 new Leopard 2A6 HEL, 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, 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 Hellenic Army could be donated to Iraq.
• As of 2004, Hellenic Army tank drivers are mostly professionals, but conscripts are still trained as tank drivers, as well as in all other tank crew stations.
• In 2011, Greece was interested in buying M1 Abram's tanks, from US stocks. However, the deal was canceled for logistical reasons.
• About 1,200 M1117 armoured vehicles will probably be donated by US army reserves to the Hellenic armed forces. The vehicles will support the existing mechanised brigades at the Aegean islands.

  Armored combat vehicles/carriers and unarmored vehicles

• 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. 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. Greece operates over 3000 M113s and variants, many of these have been transferred from other NATO armies through CFE.
• Germany sold 501 BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles, formerly operated by East Germany. About 300 have been retired due to lack of spare parts, and about 80 had been exported.
• 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.
• There have been rumors about a potential M2 Bradley purchase from the US Army's stock. Furthermore, there have been talks about an Amphibious Assault Vehicle purchase from US Marines' stock, in order to replace small landing craft of the marines. After years of talks, a deal was reached about 9 vehicles alongside 350 Bradley M2A2 ODS IFVs and M1117 4x4 armored with deliveries starting in 2020 onwards.
• The standard BMP-1P Ost will be given to Egypt.

  Artillery

• 36 M270 MLRS transferred from United States of America to Greece between 1995 and 2001.
• 150 Second-hand Slovak-made RM-70 Grad multiple rocket launchers purchased from Germany in 1993, after the end of Cold War. Since then, 116 have been used in active service, 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 17 February 2010. Once deliveries of the 223 howitzers is completed all towed artillery in the Hellenic Army will be withdrawn, with the exception of 18 M56 Pack howitzers.
• The Hellenic Army has 25 PzH 2000 155mm systems, delivered between July 2003 and June 2004.
• The M109 SPGs have been retrofitted with Intracom Defence Genaircon Hybrid Generators. Furthermore, there have been talks about upgrading the M270 MLRS and other artillery pieces.

  Air Defence Systems

• 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 short-range surface-to-air missile system was acquired to maximize the protection offered to Army units. In 1993 Germany gave 12 Osa surface-to-air cvs, meaning 3 batteries. Russia later sold another 20 Osa-AKMs batteries in 1998 and another 7 batteries as an offset for the purchase of the Tor-M1 SAM.
• Hellenic Hawk Phase II Upgrade Program brought in 1995 42 Greek Hawk launchers to an updated version. Ten launchers later updated to a more modern version in 1999.

  Other Armored Vehicles

Aircraft

• 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 more new Boeing CH-47D Chinooks. As of February 2019 and following recent additions, the Greek inventory counts about 30 CH-47DG/SD Chinooks in total.
• In 1995, 20 AH-64A+ were purchased. In 2003 Greece signed a contract for 12 AH-64D Longbow.
• The Army is looking to introduce reconnaissance UAVs in the Hellenic Army Aviation to replace the C-12 and Cessna 185 in the immediate future. The Greek made Pegasus 2 is a notable contender with the SPERWER which is currently in use with the Signals branch also being a contender for the army aviation UAV program.

  Historical equipment