Guided by four tugs, the USS Gerald R. Ford arrived back at the Souda Naval Base at a little before 10 am on Monday 23rd March, on an unscheduled visit following the outbreak of fire on 12th March, which took over 30 hours to put out and left 600 sailors without beds and 200 suffering from smoke inhalation.
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The aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford is returning to Souda
Having left Crete less than a month ago, the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford is returning to Souda from deployment in the Red Sea with its three destroyer escorts – the USS Bainbridge, USS Mahan and USS Winston S. Churchill. Apart from the opportunity to resupply after a period of intensive operation, the carrier needs repairs following a major fire which broke out last week in one of its laundry units and burned for 30 hours before being extinguished.
Continue readingNew anti-spying measures at Souda
Under the title “Scorpion of the Desert”, the National Intelligence Service (EYP) has initiated a plan to combat espionage activities and attempted sabotage at the US base at Souda and other American bases and installations in Greece. The plan was put into effect following the escalation in the Middle East and the arrest of the Georgian/Azeri accused of spying after having taken photographs of the aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford in Souda Bay.
Continue readingA new case of spying uncovered at Souda
During the US-Israeli attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities in June of last year, two cases of spying were discovered, one related to the NATO base at Souda and the other to military bases in Cyprus. In both cases the perpetrators were of Azeri origin and suspected of having links with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. Another case of suspected spying at Souda has now come to light, with a 36-year-old Georgian, also of Azeri origin, being found to have photographed the movements of warships at the base in the period before the outbreak of the current war.
Continue readingWar in the Middle East – is Souda in danger?
With the surge of Iranian reprisal attacks currently under way on US bases and other targets in the Middle East, the question inevitably arises as to whether the Souda air and naval bases could become a target. Nine months ago the same question arose when the US and Israel bombed Iran’s nuclear installations. While the current situation is more extreme, with the US proclaiming its intention to achieve “régime change” in Iran, the practical obstacles to a successful missile attack on Crete remain the same.
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