The International Flight Training Center (IFTC - Greek: ) is a military flight training facility located at the 120 Air Training Wing, in

Kalamata Air Base Kalamata International Airport () "Captain Vassilis Constantakopoulos" is an airport in the city of Kalamata, Greece. It mainly receives flights during the summer. In March 2013, Aegean Airlines opened a base in the airport. Overview Civilia ...

, Greece. It was established to provide training for pilots of the

Hellenic Air Force The Hellenic Air Force (HAF; , sometimes abbreviated as ΠΑ) is the air force of Greece (''Hellenic'' being the endonym for ''Greek'' in the Greek language). It is considered to be one of the largest air forces in NATO, and is globally placed 1 ...

(HAF) and trainees from allied nations. The center is operated as a collaboration between HAF and

Elbit Systems Elbit Systems Ltd. is an Israel-based international military technology company and defense contractor. Founded in 1966 by Elron, Elbit Systems is the primary provider of the Israeli military's land-based equipment and unmanned aerial v ...

, an Israeli defense contractor.

History

Establishing a flight training center has been an aim of Greece since the early 2000s, but it never came to fruition before 2021. The International Flight Training Center was established in 2021 as part of a €1.375 billion agreement between the

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

and Israeli MOD. The deal, which was approved by Greece in January 2021 after considering offers from the Canadian firm CAE and the Israeli Elbit, includes a 22-year public-private partnership with

to modernize Greece’s pilot training capabilities. The provision of 10 M-346 Block 5+ advanced training aircraft (replacing the older T-2Es), upgrades to 25

T-6 Texan II The Beechcraft T-6 Texan II is a single-engine turboprop aircraft built by Textron Aviation. It is a license-built Pilatus PC-9, a trainer aircraft. The T-6 replaced the United States Air Force's Cessna T-37B Tweet and the United States Navy' ...

of the HAF's fleet, and the installation of simulators and other training systems are also included in the contract. Located within the

, a military installation operated by the

, the IFTC leverages the base's infrastructure, including runways and support facilities. While the base remains under Hellenic Air Force jurisdiction, Elbit Systems manages the center's modernization, operations, and training services. The center became operational in 2023, and the first ''M-346 Block 5+'' aircraft were delivered in May of that year.

Facilities and training

The facilities of the IFTC include a 2,000 m² ''Ground-Based Training Center'' and a 1,300 m² ''Logistics Center'', established at the Air Base to provide ongoing technical support. The center is equipped with systems for fleet control and communication and 5th generation

flight simulators A flight simulator is a device that artificially re-creates aircraft flight and the environment in which it flies, for pilot training, design, or other purposes. It includes replicating the equations that govern how aircraft fly, how they rea ...

. Training programs cover basic (using the T-6 Texan II) and advanced (using the M-346) flight training for both Greek and international pilots. According to reporting by the

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...

in late 2022, the T-6 will provide 7,000 and the M-346 will provide 3,500 flight training hours annually. T-2E Buckeye 120 PEA Hellenic Air Force

The International Flight Training Center also serves as a hub for allied forces, with pilots from the

Air Forces #REDIRECT Air force An air force in the broadest sense is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

and

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

to join training programs. The former has initiated a two-year training program at the IFTC, planning to enroll 16 pilots annually starting in 2025, while the latter is in discussions to begin pilot training at the center, also by 2025. The facility emphasizes interoperability with

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...

and allied air forces.

Strategic role

The IFTC plays a significant role in Greece's military modernization initiatives and regional defense strategy. It provides advanced pilot training for modern aircraft, including the

Rafale The Dassault Rafale (, literally meaning "gust of wind", or "burst of fire" in a more military sense) is a French twin-engine, canard delta wing, multirole fighter aircraft designed and built by Dassault Aviation. Equipped with a wide range ...

F-16 Viper The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is an American single-engine supersonic Multirole combat aircraft, multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superio ...

, and future

F-35 The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is an American family of single-seat, single-engine, supersonic stealth strike fighters. A multirole combat aircraft designed for both air superiority and strike missions, it also has electronic warf ...

military aircraft. Although the IFTC is not designated as a separate NFTE training campus, the center operates within the framework of the 120th Air Training Wing, which in 2023 became part of the ''

NATO Flight Training Europe (NFTE) The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...

'' initiative. This program expanded to include training facilities in Greece,

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...

, and

North Macedonia North Macedonia, officially the Republic of North Macedonia, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe. It shares land borders with Greece to the south, Albania to the west, Bulgaria to the east, Kosovo to the northwest and Serbia to the n ...

, aiming to enhance the capabilities of Allied military pilots and reached full operational capability in 2024.

Reception

The decision to select

over the Canadian company CAE for the establishment of the International Flight Training Center in Kalamata has sparked a range of reactions. Critics, including media outlets such as ''Press Project'' and '' EfSyn'', alleged that no international tender was conducted despite announcements that one would take place. Additionally, there were claims that the cost of the deal increased from €1.3 billion to €1.8 billion, though these allegations have not been independently verified by other sources. Diplomatic reactions to the decision included concerns from the ambassadors of Canada and the United States to Greece, who reportedly supported CAE’s proposal over that of Elbit Systems. Canadian officials also visited Kalamata to promote CAE’s bid, emphasizing their extensive experience in pilot training systems and presenting their proposal as a competitive alternative. Supporters of the Elbit Systems deal highlighted its strategic advantages for Greece’s defense modernization. According to ''

To Vima ''To Vima'' () is a Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed la ...

'', the agreement reflected a deepening of defense ties with Israel and provided Greece with access to advanced technologies and training capabilities. The Greek Ministry of National Defense also defended the decision, citing Elbit Systems’ expertise and its ability to meet the project’s requirements efficiently. Concerns about delays in establishing the center were also raised. In 2020, reports suggested that procedural and logistical challenges could jeopardize the project, potentially causing Greece to miss out on this significant opportunity.

References

{{Authority control Buildings and structures in Kalamata Military installations of Greece Flight training Military aviation

History

Facilities and training

Strategic role

Reception

See also

References