Four ships of the Hellenic Navy have been decommissioned.
According to reports, the following Hellenic Navy vessels have been decommissioned:
- Air-Cushion Landing Craft KEFALLINIA L-180
- Fast Patrol Boat XENOS (P-27)
- Fast Patrol Boat VOTSIS (P-72)
- Coastal Patrol Boat ANDROMEDA (P-196)
KEFALLINIA L-180 (with the Russian designation ZUBR and NATO designation POMORNIK) is the first of the four Russian vessels acquired by the Hellenic Navy. It was built in 1993 and, after serving in the Russian Navy, was purchased by Greece in 2000. The Greek flag was raised on January 22, 2001. The other three ZUBR vessels are: ITHAKI (L-181), KERKYRA (L-182), and ZAKYNTHOS (L-183).
XENOS (P-27), “La Combattante IIIΒ” type, was built at the Skaramangas Shipyards. It was operationally integrated into the Hellenic Navy fleet on March 24, 1981. It was named in honor and memory Ensign (MECH) Konstantinos Xenos, who, while serving on the Submarine KATSONIS, which sank on September 14, 1943, gave his life for the country as a result of enemy action.
VOTSIS (P-72), “148” type, is the first of the four FPBs received from the German Navy. The Greek flag was raised on February 18, 1994, and the vessel was incorporated into the Hellenic Navy’s Fast Boat Command (DTS). It was named in honor and memory Lieutenant Nikolaos Votsis, commander of the torpedo boat T-11, which carried out a daring raid and sank the Turkish battleship Fetih Bulend on October 17, 1912, in the Gulf of Thermaikos.
ANDROMEDA (P-196), “Nasty” type, was one of six such vessels purchased from Norwegian shipyards in Mandal. It was delivered on November 21, 1966. It sailed together with HNIOCHOS from Norway on December 21, 1966, and arrived in Greece on February 6, 1967. The remaining five PP vessels were KYKNOS (P-198) and PEGASOS (P-199), which remain in service, and the decommissioned TOXOTIS (P-200), HNIOCHOS, and KASTOR.
With the decommissioning of these ships, the Hellenic Navy saves financial resources from maintenance costs. Additionally, the personnel from these ships will be reassigned to other vessels. Within the year, the Frigate KIMON is expected to join the Fleet.