Emblem

“Never Yield to Adversities”

Aeschylus, in his verses of the “Prometheus Bound” tragedy, he highlights that Prometheus and thus, Greece would never yield.

Emblem Description

Griffin: A symbol of the Mynoan time period (it implies the strength and power over the sky and the land) and it indicates the following:

1. The gods of the sky (meaning the power in the air) as displayed as displayed with the Eagle’s head.
2. The gods of land (meaning power and dominance over land) as displayed with the Lions body
3. The chthonic gods as displayed with the snake tail

Location

The 3rd ACC is located at Ziros at the Municipality of Lasithi, Crete and at an altitude of 2634 feet.

Established

1963

Subordinance

Domestically, the unit is a subordinate of the Hellenic Tactical Air Force.

At a NATO level, the unit is a subordinate of the Αllied Air Command (Ramstein) through the CAOC TJ.

Mission

The 3rd Area Control Center’s mission is to maintain a high level of effectiveness and readiness, through the proper organization of its staff and the maintenance of its assets of the systems that are at its disposal, in order to conduct the following:

• To preserve the uninterrupted transmission of air traffic activity for the country’s proper Air Defense mechanism.
• To successfully assist with aircraft operations
• To assist in emergency situations, according to the plan set forth, whenever it is required.

The unit is also responsible in coordinating and controling the operational abilities and achievements of the Air Control System Units that are subordinant to it.

History

The 3rd ACC was established in 1963 under the title “Early Warning Ziros” (E/W Ziros) and was equipped with a Radar RV-377 (2D Search and S-244N (Height).

In 1976, the 3rd ACC was designated as the host of the 4th Air Defense Sector.

In 1982, it was renamed under the title “4th Central Control Station Squadron” (4th CCSS), while its mission remained the same. Between the years 1985 and 1987, Automatic Systems (Auto) were complete and installed, while at the same time, it carried out operations as a unit, with the potential to interconnect and exchange tracks with AWACS NE-3A (SINS AEGIS/FNS – Southern Improved NADGE Site AEW Ground Enviroment Segment / Full NAEGIS Site) aircrafts.

In 1993 the old Radar Systems were withdrawn and the unit was equipped with HR-3000 [High Power Air Defence Radar (HADR)] three dimensional (3D), a modern technology Radar system, which began to operate in 1994.

In 1996, the Remote Display Subsystem (RDS) was installed.

In 1997, an advanced connectivity and trace exchange system was installed.

In 1998, additional hardware and software equipment was installed in support for the development of the Unit’s responsibility.

In 2001, new data interfaces were installed, while in the same year, a backup Radar was developed.

In 2002, the Unit was renamed under the title “3rd Area Control Center” (3rd ACC).

In 2004, the new Information Display System was installed and in 2005, software systems and a data interface was added, which helped increase the Units capability in surveillance and the control of aircrafts.

On July 1st, 2013, it transitioned to the new NATO structure and became a subordinate of the Αllied Air Command (Ramstein), through the CAOC TJ.

Contact Information

• Address: 3o ACC, Ziros Sitia, PO BOX 72059, Crete
• Telephone Center: 28430-55310
• Administrative Office: 28430-55001, FAX : 28430-55009
• Public Affairs: 28430-55001
• Email: 3kep@haf.gr