From Monday, May 19 to Friday, May 23, 2025, the Chief of the Hellenic Air Force General Staff (HAFGS), Lieutenant General (P) Dimosthenis Grigoriadis, carried out an official visit to the United States of America.
The visit began with a meeting at the Embassy of Greece in Washington, where the Chief met with Ambassador Ms. Ekaterini Nassika, as well as with members of the Armed Forces serving at the Military Delegation. During his stay, he also held meetings with Mr. Nick Larigakis, President and CEO of the American Hellenic Institute, and Mr. Mike and Mr. Andrew Manatos, with whom he discussed matters of Greek-American defense cooperation and the further strengthening of ties between the Greek Diaspora and the Hellenic Armed Forces.
During his visit, the Chief of the HAFGS visited the U.S. Pentagon, where he met with the Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force, General David Allvin. Their discussion focused on issues of mutual interest, with particular emphasis on further enhancing and upgrading bilateral defense cooperation, especially in the areas of operational capabilities and training.
General Allvin expressed his appreciation for Greece’s contribution at the Larissa Air Base, underscoring the importance of this cooperation in safeguarding regional security. He also conveyed an intention to further expand collaboration through the provision of training by the U.S. to personnel of the Hellenic Air Force, as well as through enhanced technical and operational support.
As part of his itinerary, the Chief visited the facilities of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics in Fort Worth, Texas, where he received a detailed briefing on the progress of the F-35 program and toured the fighter aircraft production lines. Special attention was given to the presentation of the overall support framework for the program, with emphasis on training systems and the preparation of involved personnel. He also received extensive briefings on the training processes for both pilots and technical staff who will support the operation and maintenance of the F-35, aimed at ensuring a high level of operational readiness. Additionally, he held successive meetings with representatives of relevant U.S. authorities, the F-35 Program Office, and Lockheed Martin.
Subsequently, the Chief visited the 188th Wing of the Air National Guard in Fort Smith, Arkansas, where he received a comprehensive briefing on the mission and activities of the unit. Fort Smith has been designated as the training location for Greek personnel on the F-35. He also met with senior officials of the Air Education and Training Command, as well as the leadership of the Wing and its Squadrons, from whom he received detailed information on the training programs.
Furthermore, he met with the Mayor and local authorities, who warmly support and graciously welcome foreign military personnel serving in their community.
