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Time To Invade Greece Is Ripe As Greek Air Force Conducts "Go-Slow" Strike... And It Gets Worse
From a reader:
Hellenic Air Force is conducting a go-slow strike, affecting exercise and routine flights ; the Ministry of Defense has issued a statement today. Payments of amounts owed to health service providers [6 billion euros of debt], public sector construction [1.2 billion], ICT [200 million] and media-advertising [100 million] have ceased, according to Kathimerini.
Did Greece ever have anything besides a "go-slow" mode? Anyway, this is what happens when your nation goes broke - it actually goes broke.
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what do you mean, broke? we can't just rent rooms to tourists all summer and build another hotel floor in winter like we used to for the past 50 years?
"I pledge to protect this nation from all enemies, both foreign and domestic, unless the gov't cuts my dental benefits..."
Does California have an air force too?
Yep, it's has a 120 strong one line Kite force operated by a whoping army of 50 6year olds...
Yes - we have pelicans.
Yep. Look at all the clean windmill power.
LET'S JUST DO THIS! WHO'S WITH ME!!
YEAH!!!!
Leeeroooooooy Jeeeeeenkins!!!!
Whoa there. Don't let hot air emanating from sundry FinMins and G-Paps lull you into a false sense of security. There is an invincible weapon: an army of bean and garlic eaters ready to annihilate dastardly invaders from both ends.
Greek Air Force...Italian Navy...Polish Army...
Everyone please feel free to add to the list. I can't, I'm laughing too hard.
HE THEY ALL WORK FOR ME!
Greek Air Force: The guy that cleans my windows
Italian Navy: The Pool guys
Polish Army: Cleaning lady
Window washers, pool boys, and cleaning ladies are too honest and industrious for such an insulting comparison. Point taken, however. :)
Woah Hella.....
Swiss Navy
UN Peace Keeping Forces
Regulatory Scrutiny
US Intelligence...
+1
+2
Central Intelligence Agency
Pretty formidable force, actually. 538 aircraft, mostly F16Ds, some Eurofighters, Some Mirage 2000.
Patriot air defense.
Could hurt you real bad, assuming good air combat skills.
That kind of equipment costs a lot of money to maintain. More than a bankrupt country can afford.
They may be in permanent "Go Slow" mode from now on whether they like it or not.
Owning it and being able to put it in the air effectively are very different things.
The bankrupt Greeks operate 538 aircraft while the thrifty Germans operate only 426; this number is to be cut to 265 aircraft by 2015. The Greek Air Force has 1 officer for every 2 enlisted men. The RAF fields roughly twice as many aircraft but requires only 44,300 servicemen compared to the total of 33,000 for the Greeks.
If the Greeks sold off their aircraft and cut manning they probably wouldn't need to borrow anything.
How-The-F does One Strike when On Vacation or Retired Full Time?
[Could hurt you real bad]
Only if they have fuel.
Monte Cassino.
Yes, quite a debacle.
800 German light infantry vs. two Polish divisions.
No contest.
I seem to recall something about a German positional advantage.
Correct. The advatage stemmed from the fact that the Germans fronted the Greeks. The Greeks are only experienced from the rear, so to speak.
@HH
I did laugh out loud. I really big laugh. :D
Bwahahahahaha -OMG that made the freckle pucker - Very witty !!
Correct, but the failed Polish assault occurred after the abbey had been bombed to rubble twice along with the Germans in and around it.
Didn't "soften them up" enough apparently.
French white flags.
Greek Air Force...Italian Navy...Polish Army... Mexican Border Control
Mexico Boarder Control... which makes one wonder what is with TSA and 'Homeland Security' if many thousands of average illegal Mexicans with little education easily enter the USA yearly. In other words, i am saying if Mexicans can easily enter the USA what about those want to enter the USA to cause harm. Makes one wonder why the 'dog and pony' show of TSA is even worth the trouble and expense. It is a sad joke, and the USA taxpayers are the fools for believing TSA and others make the USA truly safe.
Russian compliance officer. Not funny, really.
Just declare bankruptcy damn it.. Is that so hard??
greeks go slow?
you may they have a 24 hour ciesta rather than 12?
We'll know things have really gotten out-of-control when those two "guards" in the clown suits down at the Greek Parliament go on strike and stop doing their "Ministry of Silly Walks" routine.
Persian hoplites have reached the Hellespont. Send in the spartans.
200 of the Spartans went on strike and another 97 are on vacation. Would you settle for 3 Spartans?
Classic. +1k.
I don't mean to excuse the epic corruption and graft of the Greeks here, but:
http://www.tanea.gr/default.asp?pid=2&ct=1&artid=4571642
Article talks about the latest in a string of bribery scandals in which major German multinationals bribed officials in many countries (including Greece) to get the one-up on local contracts... companies include Siemens, ΜΑΝ, Ferrostaal, Daimler, and now Deutsche Βahn. Unlike the others, Deutsche Βahn is not a private entity, it is government-owned.
Doesn't excuse anybody in Greece, but perhaps tossing rocks around when inhabiting a glass house isn't such a great idea.
It is far worse in the USA... except they call it campaign contributions and speaking fees.
They must be paying for the jet fuel with their Citgo credit cards and practicing bombing the Reichstag just in case. They obvioulsy are serious about collecting on those WWII reparations.
Go-slow epic FAIL in progress...
More ouzo! Opa!
LONDON, April 26 (Reuters) - The cost of insuring Portuguese government debt against default jumped to a record high on Monday on concern that Portugal could be next to suffer a Greek- style debt crisis if no lasting solution was found for Athens.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSLDE63P0NZ20100426
Meaning: The Portuguese are waiting for an Excel spreadsheet template to fill-in based on the Greek success at getting a bailout. And that's just what I would be doing too, if I were in their place. Oh hey, could Cali get on the CC for the attachment k thx.
When are they going to stop calling them 'austerity' measures instead of just reality measures?
Of course things seem austere when you live within your means after so long living beyond them...
Actually, now might be the time to rally the Greek air force to "slowly" attack Turkish Cyprus.
Such a move would provide sufficient distraction and political cover in Athens while perhaps allowing Greece to extract more favorable terms from the EU and IMF in exchange for peace.
What, exactly does Greece need an air force for? Dogfights with Albania?
These must be prop planes, and I'm guessing more than a few of them are biplanes.
Actually, no:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_Air_Force
Jeesh! Whoda thunk?
Who do I gotta bribe to get one o' them cool OF-5 epaulets?
It ain't the highest rank but it's got the most stripes. Image counts!
How about that "special paint scheme" on the C-130h? Clearly, "don't ask...don't tell" is not part of Greek Air Force policy!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:HAF_C-130_Hercules_landing_.jpg
What is that naked man doing to that little boy?
Man, the Greek Navy must really be wild.
Which ball bail out, the Cabin Boy or Greek Sailor from the Village People?
I know of a wonderous incident about 20 years ago between Turkish and Greek F-16s.
Turkish air force jets violate Greek airspace on a daily basis, it has become a running joke how many violations were reported today.
One Greek pilot back in the late 1980s got a bit annoyed (we assume) with Maverickoglou and Mehmet Icemanki and embedded a couple of Sidewinders in the tailpipes of the two Turkish violators. Both Turkish planes went down. I am not aware of the fates of the pilots.
You would think this would have started a war, but both sides shit their pants something fierce, and covered the whole thing up - the Greeks because they were afraid NATO would dub them as aggressors and let the Turks loose on them without intervening, the Turks because they were severely embarassed that they got their years-long bluff called, and their planes crashed well within Greek territory, which gave them the fear that NATO might intervene on Greece's behalf. The US came down on the Greeks like a ton of bricks, and forced both sides to play nice.
How do I know this? Can't tell you, but this comes from a blood relative who essentially experienced this first-hand, so to speak.
Crazy to think about how many of these incidents go down around the world that we never hear about.
In the 90s husband used to be in the US Army, in Germany, "listening" to the Russians (primarily tank movements) and the story you just told is so typical that they happened a couple times a month. Shot down planes and helicopters as folks buzz each other's borders was very ordinary, and very covered up. We would blame them in the news, to our people, when it was obvious we got shot down "testing" them. They once followed a kidnapped general situation that was NEVER reported to the media.
We lie, they lie, and we call it security.
New avatar, cute...should be posted at the entrance to every trailer park in the midwest.
lol, it should be posted at the entrance to Goldman Sachs.
You are feeling me! It should be posted in Washington, for us all.
Of course any country needs a strong air force, but they need the one that they can afford. I don't think Germans would be willing to pay for this, which they shouldn't.
A few years ago, a Greek F16 hit a Turkish F16 from behind and both jets crashed. As much as I remember Greek pilot died and the Turkish pilot was rescued. This shows how stupid the situation is (and also how good Greek Airforce is too).
from behind
Reminds me of an old Cold War joke: If the Soviet Union attacked Turkey from the rear, do you think Greece would help?
Go Slow? Isn't that just business as usual?
Greece airforce lists 10 airplanes plus 7 whirlybirds for a total of 17 "crop dusters" all of which are from the USA.
Tinfoil and gas masks, bitches (which in Greece means you men, too) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SATCOM PHOTO 0900 GMT:
http://williambanzai7.blogspot.com/2010/04/satellite-photo-0900-gmt.html
it is very funny but these guys, when they did n't go strike ,...they win us air gorce in competition red flag
http://www.defencetalk.com/forums/air-force-aviation/greek-af-performanc...
I thought every country who entered the red flag competition did very well against the American agressors. I thought that was the purpose of red flag.
The Canadian Air Force did well with the old CF-101. I think they shot down a early prototype of the F-22 or F-86 or something.
It's also very important for someone to remind the President, Air Force / NATO, et al to make sure we got ALL of our nukes back from Greece, Italy, and Turkey before Greece goes Kawummmp and implodes. (Nuclear Weapons Sharing).
From Wikipedia:
Under NATO nuclear weapons sharing, the United States has provided nuclear weapons for Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Turkey to deploy and store.[32] This involves pilots and other staff of the "non-nuclear" NATO states practicing, handling, and delivering the U.S. nuclear bombs, and adapting non-U.S. warplanes to deliver U.S. nuclear bombs. Until 1984 Canada also received shared nuclear weapons, and until 2001, Greece.[33] Members of the Non-Aligned Movement have called on all countries to "refrain from nuclear sharing for military purposes under any kind of security arrangements."[34] The Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) has criticized the arrangement for allegedly violating Article I and II of the NPT, arguing that "these Articles do not permit the NWS to delegate the control of their nuclear weapons directly or indirectly to others."[35] NATO has argued that the weapons' sharing is compliant with the NPT because "the U.S. nuclear weapons based in Europe are in the sole possession and under constant and complete custody and control of the United States."[36]
More important to a Greek businessman than profits is avoiding taxes. Some things are worth moving fast for.
Reportedly, the Greek's maintain a relatively large air force and military compared to much of Europe, certainly compared with say, Germany. Reason being, they border a Muslim country, Turkey with which they have poor relations. One of the big complaints within Greece is that they effectively defend the southeastern end of Europe and are burdened by defense expenses other European nations don't have, because of their location.
This almost sounds like a joke. Isn't the very concept of "go slow" for armed services treasonous?
If, indeed, these countries have formed together as a union (EU), wouldn't shared defense be one of the primary pooled resources (at a lower cost)? As for Turkey violating Greek airspace--perhaps the EU should remind them that that's not the sort of behavior that will get you in the EU. This is not like a Soviet Union situation, so it's just bullshit.
Someone should remind the Greeks that aerodynamic lift requires a certain amount of speed, so this whole 'go-slow' thing might have its limitations. Unless they want to convert the air force into the infantry.
Depends what you are flying ... if you have positive thrust to weight, you can drag it around the patch.
It's quiet. Too quiet....
First, I'm in the market for a new aircraft, so it sounds like it is time to visit Greece.
As for Greece, I think it is time we did a forced merger of Greece back into Turkey. It is clear after more than a century that that spinoff is not working, but whodathought that it would be Turkey that looks like a shining example of market economics vs their western cousins.
alarmist you've just win a middle finger
More drivel on Greece. You guys are morons.
Practice what you preach, Leo. Your 7% Hellenic bonds are trading at fire-sale discounts to par. Load up your pension plan clients with 'em, as well as your own sizable account, and show us morons who knows what! Your bid will have no trouble finding a seller.
eh, do I detect much pot calling the Greek kettle black? How shall it be in thine homeland when the munis shut down? When the groceries are bare? When the pumps spit air?
Fair Greece does thou a fine service in all humility. It says: "You are all GS now."
IF the Erdogan admin agreed to expatriate and resettle the Turkish German population in to the conquered Greek territories, the CDU might just go along for the ride. That is if the Germans get first crack at the reconstruction contracts.
Okay this is going to be a rather bad thing for Germany and the other countries (if I was Germany, I would bailout my countries banks who are about to get screwed on that and not give the Greek country anything). 7.5 billion euros of debt for the Greek airforce (we don't know how much more from the military) that needs to be plugged up and no telling how much outstanding debt is needed to back fill the other dept. of govt. and local govt.. And then they have 9 or 19 billion dollar bond refinance or something coming up in May, this is a joke. As soon as these countries and the IMF give the money, they will use it to pay the airforce and other units of govt. that have outstanding bills due, then they will hope th ey have enough to pay on the bonds coming up in May. We still don't know how fragile the Greek economy truly is. With the airforce saying a go-slow strike, I'm willing to bet anything that we are seeing just the tip of the iceberg. Remember Sunday night/Monday Morning, people where commenting that Greece may need even more money.
This is just one big money pit and it would be better to let this country default and leave the EU.
Maybe the Greeks could go back to their traditional trade of piracy and be acquired by Goldman in a hostile takeover.