Shipbucket

To finish with Hellenic Kingdom "Ground Attack Guided Weapons", here is the Erevos ("Έρεβος") Tactical Guided Ground Attack Missile. The name of the missile is an ancient hellenic word for "Dark".

The Erevos missile family was developed in late 1980's to early 1990's with South Korean assistance and in theory is based on Nike Herkules/NHK-2. But with a more aerodynamic body and modified rocket engines from HSA/Aerodyne is an MRBM with the lightest warhead and SRBM with the heaviest. Its shape is somewhat resembles the famous Scud or the smaller Cerberus, but Erevos is a entirely Western missile. Unfortunately, specifications are classified and I cannot reveal almost anything. Max range is described as "enough to hit anywhere into Turkey" and tests in Libyan Desert in early 2000's showed an impressive CEP of >10m, due to its very accurate guidance system. Even without the GPS seeker (which is not preferred because it can be jammed) CEP of Erevos is below 100m.

The "Project Erevos" approved in Parliament House with great majority and most of the money needed came from Hellenic Army Fund, not from the State. Only the left parties reject the project, but these were a small minority (about 35-40 of 354 members). The reason was the famous "nuclear allergy" of the left politicians in that era, term introduced by the Defense Minister of the Hellenic Nationalist Party (nothing to do with real Golden Dawn Party) in 1978 during the conversation for the Orion Cruiser. The TEL of the missile is derived from South Korean NHK TEL, but instead of towed is platform based, hauled by Mack or International tractors. Erevos are rare to Hellenic Armed Forces parades, last time appearance was in 2011 and previous in 2004.

Also in Hellenic Kingdom an SLV was developed, the HSLV, similar with the Israel Shavit in shape and capabilities and in theory could be converted to an IRBM. the Minotaur. In 2004 parade for Independence Day together with the Erevos a large missile with about double size painted in the same four color camo appeared. This supposed to be the Minotaur, the IRBM variant of HSLV I. This conversion can be done if need for such a weapon appeared in future, but until now the Minotaur exists only in papers.



Of course Turks answered to Cerberus/Erevos, first with a vastly modified and improved Sopka/Komet missile, the Yakma ("Sting") in 1980's, which has both airborne and land based variants (It is said that Yakma missile was reverse engineered from one Soviet example which lost in North East Turkish mountains during exersices of Soviet bombers back in 1960's). Early version (Yakma I) was identical with the KS-1 externally ,while engine was RR Derwent sourced from retired Gloster Meteors. Later variants have a Turkish designed turbofan engine, which almost doubled range from about 180km (due to lighter solid state electronics fuel capacity of the Yakma is greater) to 300km. Among many versions of that missile included anti-ship, ground attack, anti-radiation and chemical variants. Latter supposed to be only rumor, but is possible to exist. All Yakma variants were high moble ground to ground cruise missiles, launched from a local developed BMC 8X8 lorry. Then in late 1990's to early 2000's, Yildirim (Lighting) SRBM appeared, based on Chinese technology (B-611). Yildirim is a real missile with range of 150-300km and returning to AU, Turks have 3 variants of Yildirim. Early variant based on Pakistani Haft I/IA with range 80-120km and replaced the Honest John, Yildirim II is the real one and the latest Yildirim III has range about 600km, without reducing warhead size.

P.S The Orion Cruiser is another story, which will be posted later.

I love the camo on the missiles

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Redrawing my entire AU after a long absence from Shipbucket

Nice work.

Project Orion

After the Cyprus War, several changes were made to Hellenic Armed Forces. Among them was the decision to create a aeronautical base in Cyprus for RHN to increase protection of the Island and the construction of a large landing dock ship, capable of taking heavy equipment,marines and heavy helicopters for transport/ASW/ASuW role. She would have strong self defense capabilities with SM-1,Mk29 and SSM Adis I. The program was named "Project Orion", the ship would be based on Italian plans but about 15m longer (190m vs 175m). Propulsion would be based on Kimon DDG, twin METKA M40 steam turbines for 30kn full speed.


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This is the anscestor of Garibaldi CV actually, I am not sure about its capacity, perhaps up to 12-14 5-ton helicopters or 6-8 Harrier

The project passed all steps and the final was approvement from the Parliament. Finally, was rejected, after a serious argument between Minister of Defense and Foreign Matters and the president of the largest left-side party of Hellenic Parliament House.

The result was the back up project, a Landing Helicopter Cruiser based on Dutch plans, built in two units from 1979 to 1984.

The base was built however, opened in 1983 and can support all all types of vessels RHN has. In the aviation facilities include Mirage F1CG armed with AM-39, P-3H Orion and helicopters. Until 2007 were present F-104G with Kormoran missiles. Air defense is designed in layers like bases in Hellenic Kingdom, with ARIS V SHORADS, E-92 Sphinx, Artemis AA guns and Skyguard Mk2. In 1987 the third cave for Seamasters were opened for service (2 more are in Hellenic Kingdom).

Looks interesting.

The Royal Hellenic Naval Aviation

The large step on maritime patrol for Hellenic Kingdom was the order of 6 P-3H Orion in 1969, making HLK the fifth export customer of the Orion. The first two units entered service in late 1970, followed by the rest into 1971. Together were bought also 2 P-3A for training. The -H variant of the Orion was a cross between -B and -C in electronics (mostly -B) and was the best export Orion in early 1970's. All were wired for Bullpup missiles, a primitive weapon not very succesful but RHAF had attained a stock by the MAP program for free. Bullpup in HLK became the base for a series of weapons, of which the last variants are still in use. The ASM-20 was the first variant, designed specially for the Orion-H. It looked like the Italian Marte Mk2, used active radar guidance and entered service in 1973. However not used in Cyprus War, P-3H did several patrol missions during the War. Next variant, the ASM-24, was TV guided, with a TV-seeker derived from AGM-65B Maverick. In late 1970's all P-3H were wired for Maverick and the ASM-24, both short to medium range weapons. When the Gaziantep DDG appeared in Aegean, by mid 1980's, it was obvious that new air launched anti-ship missiles were needed. The P6M was modified for the air-launched Adis I which could be launched away from the range of the Gaziantep RIM-66B missiles, but the Orion was right in this range launching its ASM-24. USA suggested a update program for using the Harpoon missile, but rejected, because the Harpoon missile was known to RHN only from exercises-none vessel had them. The electronics of the P-3H were need update, so an indigenous solution was chosen, the ISI/Delta Electronics Serapis Mk3 MIMS, a system which previous variants were developed in 1980's for the HCG F-27MP in cooperation with Thompson-CSF. A new more capable radar was developed from MARAC, the "AegeanMaster" as it was nicknamed, actually a digital hybrid of Iguan and ARCANA (Atlantic and Mirage IV-P). The first updated P-3H Mk2 entered service in 1994, while 6 more airframes were acquired from USN in 1992, all P-3B. Until 1998 seven more P-3H were upgraded to Mk2 spec, capable of using Exocet AM-39 and ASM-54 Adis II (turbojet AM-39), Penguin Mk3 and new indigenous naval mines. Also the small missile ASM-14 was integrated, but it rare for an P-3H to carry it. The two training P-3EK have the training variant of the Serapis MIMS, the Mk3EK, which can simulate every mission of the P-3H. in 2003 some more airframes were bought from USN stock and some updates were made to the electronics of the aircraft. The MAD was also updated under a joint RHN-University program in 1990's. The wiring for TV guided missiles still remains in the airframes of the original order and also integrated into the Serapis Mk3, because RHN believes that these missiles are still useful.

All P-3H flying with low-visibility RHN roundels and flag from 2006.


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And something I could not resist : an RHAF VC.10 Type 1173K Mk1 refuels a RHN P6M underway to South Korea for participating in a joint Hellenic-Korean exercise which occurs every two years from 1977. The VC.10 took off from Paphos Airport and the P6M from Elefsis Bay, while the refueling is above Arabic Sea. Paphos Airport cuts about 1000 km and saves about 3000 imp. gallons to the VC10K compared with Larissa Air Base (which is the home base of RHAF VC.10Ks).




Other aircrafts of RHAF with air-refuelling capabaility are/were:

F-4E(H) Phantom (based to -E with the refuelling system of the F-4B)
F-104M (124 modified to -S spec from 1977-1986), 36 went to Hellenic Naval Aviation armed with Kormoran missiles
Mirage F1CGM/EGM
All Mirage 2000
Mirage IV-S
R-57B/C/D/E
Also several F-104G (H) converted in 1968-1974)

Before the VC-10K RHAF used a modified bomber, the R-55K, which holded 14000lt of fuel and the British Mk20 system (derived from Buccaneer S.52K)

Finishing with the M39H, the Ammunition Carrier Donkey, "Γάιδαρος". Also served as artillery tractor. Total about 120 converted in early 1980's in Hellenic Army Base Factories and all surviving vessels passed to Island Defense Force.Capacity is about 75 shells of 155mm, 34 shells of 203mm or 140 shells of 105mm. Its successor based on M-113 chassis and is even more similar with the Taiwanese vessel in appearance, while retains the GM 6V-53T engine.

Nice work.

And the missiles ASM-20/ASM-24:



Also there was a surface launched variant of the ASM-24, the SSM-8, together with the French SS-12. This variant developed by Black Sea Naval Command itself, range was about 12km for the SSM-8A (variant of the ASM-20), 20km/32km for the SSM-8B/C (variants of the ASM-24).It was used in some destroyers and the A-36 hydrofoil FAC. The air launched variant was used from the R-136 Thunderstruck in Black Sea (ASM-24), while Island Defense Forces still use it for attacking incoming LCU/LSM.



The M48 TEL hold 3 missiles side by side, like the Soviet 2K12 "Kub".