BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 1. The Minister of National Defense of Greece, Nikos Dendias, visited the 355th Tactical Transport Squadron (355MTM) of the 112th Combat Wing (112 CW) at the Elefsina Air Base, Trend reports.
The Minister, accompanied by the Chief of the Hellenic Air Force General Staff, Lieutenant General (AF) Dimosthenis Grigoriadis, was briefed by the Commander of the 355th Squadron on the unit’s mission, activities, and the firefighting operations conducted since the beginning of the summer wildfire season. He was also informed about maintenance, availability, and readiness issues concerning the Hellenic Air Force’s aerial firefighting fleet.
Minister Dendias attended a demonstration and presentation of CL-215/415 aircraft and toured the Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, where he spoke with flying, technical, and administrative personnel.
In his address to the staff, Mr. Dendias emphasized the Air Force’s ongoing mission to support society and strengthen collective security, alongside all branches of the Armed Forces. He highlighted that since the beginning of 2025, a total of 541 firefighting missions (lasting 1,265 flight hours) and 884 air medical evacuation missions (lasting 2,610 flight hours) have been carried out, during which 1,369 patients and 26 organs were transported.
It was also noted that since July 2023, 164 Armed Forces personnel have been assigned as ambulance drivers at 67 health facilities across the country, including EKAV units, health centers, and multipurpose regional clinics.
Also present during the visit were the Commander of the Air Support Command (ASC), Lieutenant General (AF) Vasileios Broumas, and the Commander of the 112th Combat Wing, Brigadier General (AF) Efthymios Simitzis.
