Greece’s military base in Souda Bay, Crete, is an “essential hub” for NATO operations in the Mediterranean, combining world-class facilities with access to North Africa, the Commander of Allied Joint Force Command Naples and US Naval Forces Europe and Africa, US Navy Admiral James Foggo, told Kathimerini in an exclusive interview.
Admiral Foggo expressed concern about rising tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean, noting he has confidence in the readiness of the Hellenic Navy to help NATO if needed.
Souda Bay is an essential hub, the admiral said. “It has an airfield which we utilize all the time under the good graces of our agreements with the Greek government and I thank you profusely for that. It also has the added benefit of having a world-class port facility and a new pier where we can moor an aircraft carrier. We’ve done that several times, we’ve done it both for Liberty, for the crew and also for maintenance purposes. It is an essential hub in the Mediterranean, not just for US ships but NATO ships”.
