On Monday, 29 September 2025, the Joint International Air Force Semester was officially inaugurated at the Hellenic Air Force Academy.
The opening ceremony was declared by the Commander of the Hellenic Air Force Academy, Major General Matthaios Kanoupakis, and a welcoming address was delivered by Colonel Harald Gell, Chair of the Implementation Group of the European Initiative for the Exchange of Young Officers.
Students attending the full International Air Force Semester came from the following academies:
• Portuguese Air Force Academy
• Romanian Air Force Academy
• Austrian Military Academy
• University of Defence, Czech Republic
• Polish Air Force Academy
• Hellenic Air Force Academy, 2nd Class (I–EA)
Additionally, students participating exclusively in the Common Module on the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) joined from:
• National Defence Academy of Latvia
• National University of Public Service (Hungary)
• Military College of the Irish Defence Forces
• Italian Army Officers School
• Helmut Schmidt University – German Armed Forces
• Hellenic Military Nursing Academy
• Hellenic Military Academy of Combat Support Officers
The presence of all participants highlighted the truly international character of the program.
The curriculum of the Semester includes the following courses:
• Common Security and Defence Policy
• Cyber Warfare
• Military Ethics
• Propulsion Systems
• Flight and Ground Safety
• Space Applications for Security and Defence
• Aviation English
• Avionics Systems
• Aerial Navigation
• Meteorology
The International Air Force Semester is the result of a two-year Strategic Partnership, fully funded by the European Union through the Erasmus+ program. The partnership includes the Hellenic Air Force Academy (as coordinator), the Portuguese Air Force Academy, the Romanian Air Force Academy, and the European Security and Defence College (ESDC).
Implemented under the framework of Military Erasmus, the program allows military educational institutions across the European Union to exchange cadets even for a full academic semester, leveraging Erasmus+ tools and resources.
Through this initiative, the Hellenic Air Force Academy strengthens international cooperation in military education and contributes significantly to the promotion of interoperability and a shared European identity in the field of Defence and Security.
