The Minister of National Defence Nikos Dendias attends the honour and memory event for the Fallen Airmen of the Hellenic Air Force, at the New Glyfada Cemetery

The Minister of National Defence Nikos Dendias attends the honour and memory event for the Fallen Airmen of the Hellenic Air Force, at the New Glyfada Cemetery

November 10, 2025

The Minister of National Defence Nikos Dendiasattended today, Friday 7 November 2025, the honour and memory event for the Fallen Airmen of the Hellenic Air Force, organised by the Glyfada Municipality at the New Municipal Cemetery.

The Minister of National Defence attended the memorial service for the Fallen Airmen of the Hellenic Air Force, which was officiated by His Reverence the Metropolitan Bishop of Glyfada, Elliniko, Voula, Vouliagmeni and Vari Mr Antonios. After the ceremony, he laid a wreath at the Fallen Airmen Memorial.

The following individuals also attended the event: the Chief of HNDGS General Dimitris Choupis, the Head of the Attica Region Nikos Chardalias,the Mayor of Glyfada Giorgos Papanikolaou, the Chief of HAFGS Lieutenant General (Pilot) Dimosthenis Grigoriadis, the Mayor of Alimos Andreas Kondylis, the Commanding General of the Air Support Command Major General (Pilot)Vasilios Broumas, the Commander of the Telecommunications and Electronic Assets Factory, Colonel (Telecommunications - Electronics Engineer) Dimitris Meleas, as well as representatives of the Chiefs of the Security Forces, Senior Officers, the President of the Fallen Airmen Families Pan-Hellenic Association Pothiti-Antonia Skamagkouli, the President of the Hellenic Police Retired Officers AssociationDimitris Bouloukos, as well as Professors and Students of Military Academies.

Mr Dendias mentioned in his address:

"First of all, I would like to thank the Mayor Mr Papanikolaou, for remembering how we began this effort.

I would like to say that the effort was self-evident. It was self-evident for both of us, but it was also self-evident for the Armed Forces. Because it regarded something which lies in the Greek soul: the respect towards the dead.

I characteristically remember the feeling of despair of the wider area's residents, because they couldn't bury their dead. This fact is completely contrary to Hellenism. And the Hellenic Air Force assisted in the resolution of this problem.

I am happy and I want to thank the Mayor, the Municipal Council and the residents of Glyfada, because we honour the dead of the Hellenic Air Force with this Memorial, as a gift in return to the Hellenic Air Force.

There is meaning in having a sense of historical continuity, in this country, a country under threat.

And the sense of historical continuity is secured precisely by paying homage to those who gave their lives to defend that which we consider peculiarly self-evident today: the ability to determine, of our own volition, our future. It is not self-evident.

The memorials are not places of sorrow, they are places of expression. That which You would express in a more Christian manner, Your Reverence, "we are all one".

We all stand together. Those who departed, those who stay behind, those who will come, so that we can secure the future of the Homeland, Hellenism, society, our fellow citizens.

Therefore, I would like Mr Mayor to thank you for thus honouring our Air Force and to assure you about the continuation, always at the highest level, of the presence of the Hellenic Air Force and the Ministry at the memorial ceremony for the fallen of the Hellenic Air Force.

It constitutes a proud tradition of the Service, the Ministry and the Armed Forces, and let me wish - as you did - that the list which we honour today, will remain as is.

Thank you very much".

Following that, Mr Dendias visited the facilities of the Telecommunications and Electronic Assets Factory of the Hellenic Air Force, in Ano Glyfada - Attica, where he was briefed on its mission, capabilities and its productive and scientific work by its Commander, Colonel (Telecommunications - Electronics Engineer) Dimitris Meleas.

The Telecommunications and Electronic Assets Factory is assigned to conduct inspections, repairs and modifications at Factory level, at the Air and Ground Telecommunications and Electronic Systems of the Hellenic Air Force, as well as the software of the operational systems and networks of the Hellenic Air Force.

One of the inventions of the Telecommunications and Electronic Assets Factory, among others, is the "METOIKOS" Mobile Communications Station, an autonomous and agile communications node, presented for the first time in the 28^thOctober military parade, in Thessaloniki. It is a state-of-the-art and of high operational value telecommunications system, capable of restoring or enhancing communications in any environment and under any conditions.