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Line 209: ==Regional role== ===Turkey=== In international politics, the antagonism between [[Greek–Turkish relations\|Greece and Turkey]] has made it imperative for HAF to maintain parity with [[Turkish Air Force]] (TAF). HAF and TAF pilots have engaged in mock [[dogfight]]s over the [[Aegean ~~sea~~Sea]] for years, with some turning deadly; such as the [[1996 Turkish F-16 shootdown\|1996 shooting down of a Turkish F-16]] by a Greek Mirage 2000, and the 2006 crash of a Greek F-16 where Greek pilot attempted a move to escape the Turkish F-16 and subsequently crashed into the Aegean sea with the pilot losing his life.<ref>{{Cite web\|title=May 23: commemorating Captain Konstantinos Iliakis who died defending his country\|url=https://greekcitytimes.com/2021/05/23/may-23-commemorating-captain-konstantinos-iliakis-who-died-defending-his-country-2/\|website=GreekCityTimes.com\|publisher=Greek City Times\|date=2020-05-23\|access-date=2021-06-22}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web\|title=Greece remembers hero pilot Iliakis who died defending country's skies\|url=https://greekreporter.com/2022/05/23/konstantinos-iliakis-greece-hero-pilot/\|website=GreekReporter.com\|date=2020-05-23\|access-date=2021-06-22}}</ref> The regional balance of power in the eastern Mediterranean was inevitably affected during the [[Greek government-debt crisis]].<ref>{{Cite web\|url=http://www.balkanalysis.com/greece/2012/02/19/greece-and-turkey-offensive-and-defensive-balance-of-air-power-in-2012/\|title=Greece and Turkey: offensive and defensive balance of air power in 2012\|website=Balkanalysis.com\|access-date=8 January 2018\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180109064055/http://www.balkanalysis.com/greece/2012/02/19/greece-and-turkey-offensive-and-defensive-balance-of-air-power-in-2012/\|archive-date=9 January 2018\|url-status=live}}</ref> However, it was subsequently restored, influenced by negative developments in Turkey's F-35 programme in 2019,<ref>{{Cite web\|last=Mehta\|first=Aaron\|date=17 July 2019\|title=Turkey officially kicked out of F-35 program, costing US half a billion dollars\|url=https://www.defensenews.com/air/2019/07/17/turkey-officially-kicked-out-of-f-35-program/\|website=DefenseNews.com\|publisher=Defense News\|access-date=3 September 2019}}</ref> rise of diplomatic tensions in [[Turkey–United States relations\|Turkey-US bilateral relations]] during the same period,<ref>{{Cite web\|title=Erdogan: US scrapping F-35 jet deal with Turkey would be robbery\|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/07/erdogan-scrapping-35-jet-deal-turkey-robbery-190704064237370.html\|website=AlJazeera.com\|publisher=[[Al Jazeera Media Network]]\|access-date=3 September 2019}}</ref> and at the same time, the decision of Greece to direct funds towards the upgrade of its existing F-16 and Mirage 2000 fleet, and eventually to acquire new [[Fourth-generation fighter#4.5 generation\|4.5 generation fighters]] in 2020. By 2023, several Rafale jets have been delivered, as well as the upgrade of F16's to the Viper variant.

Hellenic Air Force: Difference between revisions