Training center partnership with Israel launched

Hellenic Air Force maintenance staff park a T-6 single-engine turboprop training aircraft at an airbase outside the southern Greek city of Kalamata. Greece launched operations on Friday at the brand-new international pilot training facility, which was established in cooperation with Israel. Elbit, an Israeli defense contractor that signed a $1.65 billion agreement with the Greek government last year, with Israel’s assistance, will help manage the facility. The center was launched with 14 of the anticipated 25 T-6 single-engine turboprop aircraft. The fleet will be reinforced the following year with the arrival of 19 M-346 training planes produced in Italy and outfitted with embedded virtual avionics that simulate flying and combat scenarios. [Petros Giannakouris/AP]