Western Theatre:
Larissa:
The jet base, deployed 2 F-22s in 2018. In addition, MQ-9 UAVs continue to use this base. It will likely be used as a permanent base of deployment for MQ9 systems.
Thessaloniki - Kavala:
RQ4 Global Hawk high altitude (HALE) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are deployed at Thessaloniki (Amigdhaleon) and Kavala (Sedes) Air Bases in northern Greece, as part of the US's reconnaissance surveillance needs.
Alexandroupoli:
Permanent American military base in the Turkish border area. The US military used it for the first time in the 2020 exercise. 5000 troop-sized units, 50 blackhawk helicopters, 4 Chinooks, 25 Apaches and approximately 1800 armored vehicles will be deployed in the area.
Volos:
Volos (Stefanovikeio) land aviation aerodrome is located close to Larissa, where the USA plans to deploy around 500 military personnel and 35 helicopters when necessary.
Soudabay:
Soudabay Naval and Air Base. This military base on the island of Crete has been serving the American Navy elements anchored in the port of Soudabay since the 1950s. Today, this port, which also hosts the American 6th Fleet, is the only port in the Mediterranean region that has the means and facilities to provide logistic support to nuclear aircraft carriers. There are no other Mediterranean ports with similar capabilities.
With the new agreement, this base will be rebuilt by the USA and will be permanently available to the US navy. EP-3E aerial surveillance, C-17 and C-130 transport aircraft, F-16 warplanes, and over 1,000 US Marines will be deployed in and around Soudabay. In fact, nothing has changed compared to the past.
Araxos:
It is planned to open the Araxos jet planes base in Greece for the use of the Americans, and to move around 50 tactical nuclear warheads from Incirlik, depending on the need.
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The construction of a naval base in Syros, an island in the Aegean Sea, is on the agenda. Likewise, the construction of helicopter/airplane airports on the islands of Karpatos and Kayminos is in question.
Greece acts with the thought of disrupting the "disarmed island" status of the island of Iskiri (Skyros), which can fulfill the role of a stationary aircraft carrier at a point that may block the Dardanelles, as per the treaties. In this context, it tries to make the United States a partner in its action against international law by ensuring the deployment of American forces on this island, which it de facto armed against the treaties. For now, the USA did not take kindly to Greece's offer in this direction.
Alexandroupolis Port, located in Western Thrace, very close to the Turkish border, naturally disturbed Turkey and came to the fore. We know that the US is reconstructing this port primarily as a liquefied gas storage centre. USA; It aims to bring the liquefied gas of its own production to this port by tankers, to transport it through pipelines to Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine and the Balkans when necessary, to partially eliminate the dependence of the region on Russian gas, and to support the sale of US gas.
In addition, it is about to open a helicopter assembly/disassembly center, a similar one in Europe, only in Germany, in order to protect this port and to project power to allied countries when necessary. Plans are being made for Alexandroupoli to become the main deployment center of American forces for Bulgaria, Ukraine and Romania.
The USA intends to make permanent the military weapons, ammunition, equipment and vehicles it brought to the aforementioned bases within the scope of planned exercises, especially the military build-up in Alexandroupoli.
The problem of not being able to get involved in the 2014 Russian-Ukrainian war and not being able to prevent the Russian occupation at the basis of the US's latest base acquisition policy.
As a matter of fact, on March 18, 2014, the USA and its allies had to remain "silent" in the face of Russia, which annexed Crimea in front of the eyes of the world. NATO, which developed close relations with Ukraine and opened the way for membership in this country, lost its superiority in the Black Sea against the Russians with the Russians' attack on the Crimea.
At the September 2014 Wales Summit for counter-action, the Allies; NATO has declared that it will return to the understanding of collective defense and has implicitly decided to take the necessary measures against the Russian threat. Subsequently, with the decisions taken at the 2016 Warsaw Summit, NATO military build-up was made within the framework of the Preparedness Action Plan for Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. USA also reinforced and redesigned its bases in Romania and Bulgaria.
The number of NATO and US soldiers to be deployed in all these military bases and facilities, including Greece, is not over 20,000.
The March 1st Permit crisis in 2003 which regarding the prevent the permission for the entry of American soldiers from the north of Iraq had already been the biggest break in the Turkish-American relationship in the last two decades. After this crisis, when we look at it in general terms, it was seen that the USA was in search of gradually shifting its strategic orientation from Turkey to other countries.
In this respect, the incident of July 15 caused a second break between the two countries. The subsequent S-400 and F-35, even the F-16 crises and the American sanctions within this framework should be seen as the reflections of these two major ruptures on the outside world.
At this point, it is understood that America has turned its strategic orientation towards our region to Greece. Three key indicators of this
1. Increasing strategic interest of the USA in favor of Greece in the region after September 2016,
2. Increase in Greek military expenditures and security-oriented activities,
3. Greece to become a 'military bases center' for the strategic, geopolitical and national interests of the USA.
ABDânin Yunanistanâda Ne Yapıyor? konulu makale
strasam.org
www.newsweek.com
www.aa.com.tr
www.reuters.com
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